Queen's Debt
by Jet MacLeod
Summary: Future AU, what happens when SwanQueen has to save the day because of a blood debt of Regina's from childhood? And, how does it relate to a prophecy about bringing Avalon back to its former glory? And, just who is Rhiannon, Queen of Tir Nan Og? These are the questions that Emma and Regina have to figure out if they want to go back to their quiet life in Storybrooke.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I am a total shipper for SwanQueen, don't like it. Don't read. This is my first OUAT fanfic and I hope that you enjoy it. There is plenty more to come to this story. I just have to get it all down. I beta myself, so all mistakes are mine, sorry. Tell if me if it is bothering you too bad. Also, please review to keep the writing faery happy. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. This is for entertainment and enjoyment only, and not for profit.**

**Rating: M...for later chapters, drugs, sex and of, course violence...this is going to be an adventure after all.**

**Chapter 1 - Preparations **

Regina entered the Sheriff's station looking for Emma. She had an uneasy feeling and she wanted to discuss it with her. She didn't want to admit it to Emma but she had been having nightmares, but they were more prophetic than just dreams. She couldn't shake the feeling of dread that surrounding her heart. She hated looking weak. She hated needing Emma, but she knew that Emma was the only one who truly understood her completely.

"Miss Swan, may I speak with you?" she asked, walking up to Emma's desk.

"Please, Regina, have a seat," Emma told her, seeing the worry on her face, "What seems to be troubling you today, Madam Mayor? Did I steal the covers again last night?"

"I doubt that your stealing of the covers would come as shock to anyone, Miss Swan. Unfortunately, that is not why I am here. I would like to discuss something with you."

Emma sat up a little straighter in her chair. She could tell that something was gnawing at Regina and she wasn't going to let it go until she talked with Emma about it. Emma smiled at her trying to reassure her that it would be okay. For a fleeting second, Emma thought it had something to do with Henry, but she realized that Regina would be hysterical if it was Henry.

"Regina, tell me what's wrong," Emma pleaded with her.

"I feel like something is going to happen."

"Like you are going to do something or something is going to happen to you?"

"That something is going to happen to us," Regina said flatly.

"Regina, it has been five years. Nothing is going to happen. We broke the curse three times. Pan is dead. Gold and Belle went back to his castle. He agreed to leave you alone on pain of death, remember? He can't hurt you. No one is going to hurt you," Emma told her.

"You or Henry could," Regina replied.

"Really, Regina, after all this time, you still worry about that?"

"Yes, I don't exactly have the greatest record with those l love."

"True, but l think that l have proven to you that l am not leaving you."

"I don't know what it is, Emma, but I know that something is coming."

"You're right there, but it isn't something. It is someone. Did you forget that Eva and Ruth are coming for the weekend?" Emma asked her.

"How could I forget?" Regina answered, trying to not let the disdain for Emma's younger siblings show.

"Now, Regina, you promised," Emma started.

"I know and I will. I am not going to say anything to them. I am sure that your mother has already told them enough about me that they hate me just on principal. I have left everything up to your mother, anyway. I don't know how else I can apologize to her. I gave her the kingdom willingly, this time, and without a fight. I am staying in Storybrooke and not living in my homeland. I agreed to only go to the Enchanted Forest for official events, too. I don't remember ever agreeing to be a babysitter to the royal brats," Regina told her.

Emma laughed. She knew that the bad blood between Snow and Regina had finally been patched, if not all forgiven, it was at least understood from the others point-of-view. Emma knew that it was an uneasy peace between them, but it worked. She also knew that she was the catalyst for their peace. In the end, Emma believed that it was her mother's love and pure nature that won over her own heart.

Snow had been the one to issue the truce when she figured out that Regina actually cared for Emma.

"It isn't funny, dear," Regina scolded.

"Oh, I think that it is. Come on Regina, they aren't that bad. Besides, Henry will be home from school, too. We will have a full house for the weekend. It'll be fun."

"Fun is not the word that comes to mind when I think about that, Miss Swan," Regina replied.

"Lighten up, Regina. Everything will be fine. You'll see."

"For our sakes, I hope that you are right, Emma. For once, I just want a peaceful week with your family. I don't think that is too much to ask. And, I promise to be on my best behavior while we are in the Enchanted Forest," Regina told her.

"Now, there is my Queen," Emma stated, getting up from behind her desk.

She walked over to where Regina was and gathered her into her arms. She pulled her into a warm hug and kissed her forehead. She tried to let her warmth seep into Regina to calm her. Regina pulled back and looked into her emerald eyes.

"Keep looking at me like that, Miss Swan, and I might actually start to believe you," she told her.

"I should hope so, Madam Mayor. Should you be a Granny's getting Henry's cake ready, anyway? Why don't you worry about his party? I'll worry about this uneasy feeling that you have, okay?"

"That, my dear, sounds like a plan. I'll see you at dinner. And, do try not to be late tonight."

"Are we having lasagna and apple tarts?"

"Of course, Henry should be here by then, and they are his favorite," Regina replied.

"Then, I'll make sure that I am not late. I'll see you at dinner. Go home, Regina. I promise you that nothing is going to happen. I am not going to let it. We are going to celebrate Henry's birthday and then we are going to the Palace to celebrate with Snow and David. I am sure that they have something spectacular planned for him. You are just being apprehensive about that, is all. Everything will be fine, you'll see."

"I hope you're right, dear. See you at dinner then. And, do try to stay out of trouble, Miss Swan."

Regina sat at the counter at Granny's. It was a gesture not lost on the rest of the patrons. Regina was still feared, but most of them had decided not to worry about her in the years since Neverland and the third curse that sent them all home. Having Storybrooke back meant having Regina as their mayor, they could deal with that because the ones that came back from the Enchanted Forest knew nothing of running a town, a village or a kingdom. They had watched Regina soften with Henry over the years, and they knew that the version of Regina they had now was thanks to their Sheriff Swan.

"He home yet?" Granny asked her bringing Regina out of her thoughts.

"Not yet, but should be home by dinner time."

"Something eating at you, Regina?"

"I'm just worried."

"About?"

"The future, I guess."

"You could do a spell or something, I'm sure," Granny stated.

Regina stared at her, knowing that Granny was testing her. She was one of the few that Regina allowed to remind her of her past misdeeds and her loss of control. Granny understood her need for control and understood the evil that came from the loss of it. It was another reason that Regina tried to garner a friendship with the woman. It was a reluctant adventure on Granny's part, but overtime Regina had proven herself a worth ally and friend.

"We both know that Henry hates that, so that won't be happening while he is here. Plus, I don't want it getting back to him. Besides, Granny, I don't think a spell would work this time anyway."

"Why is that, Mayor?" Granny asked her.

"I don't think that I want to know what is going to happen. I mean if I did, then l would spend all my time trying to prevent the bad things from happening and trying to make good things happen instead. It would be a constant problem and worry to deal with. Frankly, it would literally kill me. I am a little partial when it comes to my life. So, I guess I'll just deal with my worry."

"That's part of your problem, Regina. You are always waiting for the other shoe to drop. You need to stop and just let go. Things are going to happen out of your control. For example, you and Emma, that whole relationship has been out of your control from the beginning and everyone knows it."

Regina about spit her coffee across the counter. Granny just smiled at her, wiped up the counter and headed into the kitchen with a chuckle. Regina sat in disbelief staring at herself in the mirrored back of the soda fountain. She knew that Granny was right, but they both knew that Regina would never admit it out loud either.

"Eat up, Regina. You're gonna need your strength for next week. Oh, don't look at me like that, Mayor. The whole town has been invited to the Palace for the celebration. Come by tomorrow after lunch and I'll have Prince Henry's cake ready for him. Now, finish your meal or call the Sheriff down here."

"Regina! Some-there...there is someone here to see you!" Emma called up the stairs to her.

Regina's head snapped up from under the spray of the shower. She put both hands against the tile and turned to the door. Her face betrayed her worry. She didn't get many visitors since...everything happened. But, she knew that Emma wouldn't let anyone that had ill will towards her without a fight.

She grabbed her towel and began to dry off. Her mind kept wandering to the woman she loved and the other individual who had graced her house downstairs. She was finding it difficult to concentrate. She wiped a section of the mirror before her, still naked, and stared at herself. She saw the fear in her eyes and tried to will it away. She continued to stare at herself until she managed to calm her fears. She felt the magic starting to well up inside her and she knew that she could greet the person downstairs. She had reminded herself that she didn't need to be afraid that everyone was out to kill her anymore. She wasn't the Queen.

Emma broke into the bathroom and stopped as soon as she saw that Regina was naked. Her mouth dropped open and she stared, lovingly but awkwardly. Regina smiled at her, but made a gesture for her to tell her what she needed. Emma coughed and then regained her composure. Regina smiled, but gave her another impatient look.

"Sorry," Emma stated.

"Darling, is there something that you wanted to say to me?" Regina asked her.

"Yeah, sorry, there is a very regal looking woman downstairs waiting for you."

"Regal looking, hmm, I don't guess she gave your her name, then did she? Did she say anything that I would find important, Miss Swan? Anything at all?"

"Umm, well, she stated that she was directed here by Ruby when she asked where she could find the Queen Regina of the Winterlands."

"She asked for me by name? How delightfully odd? Well, go get a bottle of cider and take her to study. I'll be along shortly. And, darling, try to be a little more refined. It seems our guest has traveled a long way to seek me out. I would hate to have you upset her," Regina stated.

"Me? Upset her? I think the town already did a good enough job of that. I'll get the cider, though. Is there anything else I can do for you, at this time, your Majesty?" Emma asked her suggestively.

"Not at the moment, dear, but maybe later, depending on how you act with our guest."

Emma smiled, knowing what that meant for her later. Emma turned to go, but stopped in the door way and stared at Regina. She opened her mouth to say something, but was stopped by Regina.

"Dear, go on. And, if our guest asks, which I doubt that she will because it wouldn't be proper of someone of her standing, I am assuming, but if she does, you are my consort as well as being the town sheriff. You can introduce yourself to her as the sheriff regardless. Tell her, I apologize, but I'll be down as soon as I can," Regina told her.

"Yes, your Majesty, I will," Emma answered, mocking a bow, as she closed the bathroom door.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Regina grabbed a simple black suit and a white silk blouse. She wasn't going to go down and meet this mystery person in jeans and a t-shirt, no matter that it was her home and she wasn't working. She was going to meet this person in some sort of finery. She was going to look good. She might not look like royalty when she met them, but she would look good.

Once she was happy with her appearance, she made her way down the stairs and to the study where Emma and the stranger were waiting. Emma saw her first and smiled, winking slightly where only Regina would catch it. The stranger turned to see Regina standing in the door way. She immediately rose from the chair she had been sitting on and placed her tumbler of cider on Regina's desk. Emma heard Regina gasp at the sight of the stranger.

Emma could only wonder what Regina was thinking about the mysterious stranger standing before her. The raven haired woman was slightly taller than they were and carried herself with an air of aristocracy. Her clear blue eyes were fixated on Regina as she smiled in greeting. She stepped around the chair and rearranged her royal blue velvet dress to make the movement easier. Regina watched as she took two steps towards her, then the stranger grabbed the plaid that was draped around her shoulder and the waist of her dress before curtseying to Regina.

"My Lady," the stranger stated, deep in a bow.

"Stand up, Rhiannon. I am not a queen anymore. Please have a seat and tell me what brings you to my cozy little town of Storybrooke," Regina said, walking around her mahogany desk and taking her seat.

Emma poured her a glass of cider and pushed it over the desk at her. She was rewarded with a glare at the movement, but took the tumbler of cider. She took a sip and sat the glass back down on a nearby coaster. Her chestnut eyes looked at the bright blue across her desk, still questioning her presence.

"I am sorry to disturb you, Regina, but I am need of your help," she told her.

"What is it that you think I can do for you?"

"I need you to come with me to Tir Nan Og. It is time that we find my beloved Sorcha and you are the only one that I can think of that can help. I have need of your magics."

Emma squirmed a little in her chair, but took another swig of cider instead of saying anything. She watched Regina closely. She knew that Regina was gauging how she would respond.

"Unfortunately, Rhiannon, you have come too late. I cannot help you. I no longer use my magic for evil deeds I have started a new and quiet life here. I don t know what else I can tell you."

"I have heard of your banishment. All of the realms of the Fae know, Regina. I wouldn't ask if I didn't need you. I can understand your hesitation. I truly do, but as I know you used your magic because you lost the one you love, I have done this as well."

"How so?" Regina questioned.

"Sorcha is my daughter. I have searched Tir Nan Og for her and cannot find her. I need to you to help locate her. I know that your mother had a magic globe. If I could see it, then maybe it would tell me where she is and how I can find her. Can you do this for me?" Rhiannon asked her.

Regina stood up from behind her desk and made her way to the lone couch that was in her study. She sat down with her tumbler in hand. She took another drink and then shot Emma a look. Emma understood and joined Regina on the couch. She possessively placed her hand on Regina's knee. The move wasn't lost on Rhiannon, who just smirked at Regina knowingly.

"I don't have my mother's globe," Regina finally stated, breaking their awkward silence.

"Is it in the Enchanted Forest?"

"Is that the same magic globe that Gold used to find Neal?" Emma asked.

"Gold?" Rhiannon asked, "Who is this Gold? And where I can I meet him?"

"You know who Gold is, Rhiannon. He is known as Mr. Gold here. You know him better as the 'Dark One' or Rumpelstiltskin. That little imp has a lot of my mother's belongings. Most of which I don't want back. I try not to deal with him if I don't have to," Regina said, making a weak smile.

"The Dark One has your mother's globe?"

"Yes, so you see when I told you that I couldn't help you, I really can't. Gold and I make an agreement after we broke the curse for the third time. He is the grandfather of my son. We don't bother each other. The only time that we deal with each other is for Henry," Regina told her.

"Henry?"

"Yes, he is my son," Regina answered flatly.

Emma could feel the heat building underneath her fingers. She immediately started watching Rhiannon a little more closely. She wasn't sure what it was about her that made her uneasy, but she decided that it was because she was making Regina more and more uncomfortable the longer that sat there.

"You have a son?

"We have a son," Emma corrected.

"I am sorry. I didn't know. But, then at least, you can understand my plight. My daughter is missing, Regina and I need to find her. Things are not as peaceful as they once were in Tir Nan Og. I need to find her to ensure the line of the throne and the peace. I wouldn't have come to you if I didn't need your help. I am sorry to ask this of you."

"I don't do magic anymore. I am the mayor of this town. I live a quiet life, now. I live simply here with my wife, Emma. I don't know what else to tell you. You could seek out Gold, if you wish. I'll even go with you to see ifl could help, but Rhiannon, I simply cannot go to Tir Nan Og to help you."

"Have you forgotten everything, Regina? Have you forgotten the summers spent with me? Can you honestly tell me 'no,' now?"

Regina sighed. Her heart felt for Rhiannon, but she had promised Emma and Henry no more magic. She had been good. She was doing well and now this was a huge temptation back into the dark.

Regina felt like she was an impasse. She wanted to help Rhiannon. She really did, but things had changed drastically since their childhood. She couldn't just do what she wanted anymore. She had Henry and Emma to think about. Then, there was the little deal about her exile and punishment. She wasn't going to go against the Charmings anymore. She had promised. She was a woman of her word and she meant.

"I'm sorry. I just can't help you. Rhiannon, please understand that I want to help. I just can't."

"I'm sorry, but Il don't understand. You are a queen, Regina. How is it that you are unable to help me? What has happened to the girl I once knew?"

"A lot, unfortunately. I am sure that my reputation has preceded me in your land as well. Normally, I would be willing to help you, Rhiannon. I just can't. I promised my son that I wouldn't go against my in—laws anymore. I have kept my word and I plan on continuing to do that," Regina told her.

"I should leave you alone. It sounds like you need to catch up. Besides, I sure that Henry will be here soon," Emma stated, getting up from the couch.

She patted Regina's leg in reassurance and headed towards the kitchen to check on Regina's lasagna. She stopped in the door way and turned to give Regina a smile. Regina smiled back, knowing that she was giving her the room to discuss more openly about the truce with the Charmings. They were both brought out of their thoughts by Henry announcing that he was home from school.

"Mom, Ma, I'm home. Where you at? Please tell me that is lasagna, too!"

"Henry!" Regina called out in surprise.

"In here, Kid," Emma told him.

Henry came into the study and gave both of his mother's a glance. He stared at Rhiannon, who was still seated. He seemed unsettled by the woman but didn't say anything. He could tell that Regina was a little of sorts with her being there and decided to wait until they were alone later to discuss this. He could tell by the look on Regina's face that there was more going on than he could see.

"Henry, this is my old friend, Rhiannon. She came to visit. Please say hello to her," Regina told him.

Henry came further into the room. He waited for her to extend her hand and he shook it. He felt an odd sensation when he did and he immediately looked over Rhiannon's shoulder to Emma. He gave her a look of bewilderment and Emma shrugged, making a motion with her head to follow her.

"Hey, Kid, come on and help me set the table. I am sure that Rhiannon and your mom have some business to discuss. Then you can help me get ready for your aunts who will be here tomorrow,"

Emma stated as she headed off to the kitchen, again.

"Okay, Ma," he replied, following Emma out of the study.

"Good lad you have there, Regina," Rhiannon stated after they were gone.

"He is. He really is."

Regina watched her. Rhiannon still seemed puzzled by the whole issue of Emma and Henry. She couldn't seem to fathom Regina's reluctance, regardless of the reason.

"Would you help your son?"

"I would."

"You would help your son, but you won't help me help my own daughter."

"It isn't a matter of want, Rhiannon. I cannot. I will not jeopardize my well-being for magic, again."

"You won't or you can't?"

"I can't."

"What happened, Regina? What happened to you? Why did you turn your back on magic?"

"Rhiannon, it isn't something that I like to talk about. Listen, what you knew of me before I married Leopold is not the person that I became. My mother twisted me into something that I never wanted. I tried to rebel against her and what I was becoming, but the magic became a drug and a power that I thought that I could live without. I became a monster bent on revenge and destruction. I will not go back down that path. I cannot. I would lose everything that I love."

"Henry and Emma?"

"Yes," Regina sighed in response.

"Time is a strange motivator is it not?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if I could give you time back?"

"As a reward?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes. I have that ability. I can give you back some of the wasted years, if you wish. You could change the outcome. You could still keep what you want, what you tell me you love."

"Rhiannon, it would be a lie. I promised Henry that I wouldn't lie to him. I will keep my word. Besides, I cannot help you. There is more than my happiness at play here."

"I know that, Regina. I heard of the prophecy for your curse. I have one of my own. I believe that it involves my daughter. I thought you might know something about it, considering everything."

"I am sorry I do not," Regina answered, "I don't care for legends anymore. Well, not since I was bound. I read for enjoyment and entertainment. I care not for prophecies. I spent too much of my time trying to prevent them with magic. Magic that I no longer possess."

"Who bound you?"

"Does it really matter?" Regina asked.

"It might. I could undo the binding. I could ask them to undo it."

"I doubt they will help you."

"Is it the Dark One?" Rhiannon questioned.

"No, thank the gods, it wasn't him."

"Then, who, Regina? Who is the great person who bound your powers? Who took your magic?"

Regina looked at her pleadingly. It had been so long ago. Things were different then. She wasn't happy. She wasn't free to be who she wanted. She didn't know how to live without magic. She didn't know what the power of love was.

Emma stood in the doorway to the study. She knew that Regina and Rhiannon couldn't see her. She saw the pain in Regina's eyes. She knew that Regina wanted to help her friend and she knew why she couldn't. Emma wanted to ease her pain, but she didn't know if Regina would let her. it had been ages since she had seen that kind of anguish on Regina's face and she didn't like it. She heard what Regina told Rhiannon, but she was surprised that she actually told her about the binding.

Regina finally saw Emma standing in the doorway, with a look of pure unadulterated love. It broke Regina's heart to see Emma like that, because even after all this time she still didn't believe that she deserved the Savior's love. Regina smiled at her, hoping that Emma would just go away and let her try to deal with Rhiannon alone. She realized too late that Emma wasn't going to let her do that. Emma wasn't going to let her suffer, because Regina knew that if she was suffering for whatever reason, Emma suffered along with her.

Rhiannon felt Emma's presence, but didn't acknowledge her. She saw the quick interaction between them. It was enough for her to know that they were speaking volumes with their eyes in a language that only they understood. She was intruding on their lives, but she needed answers.

"Regina, please tell me who bound your powers. l must know. I need your help."

"I'll tell you who bound her powers," Emma told Rhiannon, coming around to stand behind Regina.

She placed her hand on Regina's shoulders and gave them a loving squeeze. Regina reached up and grabbed Emma's hand. Rhiannon ignored the look of horror on Regina's face as she stared at Emma.

"And, who would that be, my dear Sheriff?" Rhiannon asked her.

"The person who bound Regina's powers is the child of prophecy. The Enchanted Forest's own Savior, the child of pure love, she is the child of the Queen of the Enchanted Forest and her true love."

"Henry bound you?" Rhiannon asked, puzzled.

"No, I did."

Rhiannon turn sharply and meet the viridian gaze of Emma. Regina stood motionless watching them. Emma looked like she was ready for battle. Her stance was rigid and defensive. Regina gave her a sympathetic look.

"I am that child. I am the child of Snow White and Prince Charming. I bound her powers because she asked that I do it. I am the only one who was strong enough to keep her bound. It was her choice, Rhiannon and not mine. But, it was a decision that I didn't take lightly. Trust me on that."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

Bevin held her arm aloft, wincing slightly as she prepared for her shower. She could hear her roommate moving around in the kitchen. She winced again staring at the bruise in the mirror. She moved her arm again, happy that it wasn't broken.

She moved into the shower to let the hot water soothe her aching muscles. Today's ride had taken its toll on her and her body was not appreciative. She took a quick shower, promising to take some ibuprofen as soon as she got out of the shower. She grabbed her towel and began to dry off, noticing the bags under her eyes.

"I need a decent night's sleep," she told herself in the mirror.

She ran her fingers through her dark brown hair, finger combing it. She blinked a few times as she swore her hair turned bright red in streaks in the reflection in the mirror. She shook her head and rubbed her eyes, willing herself to feel better.

"Maybe that fall was worse than I thought," she mused aloud.

"Hey, Cavanaugh!" her roommate called through the bathroom door.

"Yeah?"

"You still doing okay in there?"

"Yeah, I'm good."

"You almost ready to head to school?"

"Yeah, I'll be out in a minute," Bevin told her.

She continued to prep for school, not worrying about what her roommate wanted. She hung her towel back up and then started to get dressed. She grabbed her shirt and pulled it on. As she smoothed it down over her arms, she pulled up the sleeves of the long sleeve t-shirt. She did a double take when she saw some strange markings on her arms. She ran her fingers over the markings, staring at the fresh looking tattoos that were there and then stared up into the mirror again into her hazy blue eyes.

"Bridget?!" she called out.

"What's up, Cavanaugh?"

"Did we go drinking last night?"

"No, Irish, we didn't. You were too beat up. I brought you home and put you to bed."

"You sure about that?"

"Yeah, Cavanaugh, I am sure about that. You about ready? We are going to be late."

"Yeah, I ready. Just give me a sec to grab my shoes. I'll be right out," she said, still staring in the mirror, before pulling down the sleeves of her shirt over the tattoos.

Bevin ran into her room, grabbed her shoes and jacket and met Bridget at the door. She threw her jacket on and just put her feet in her shoes as Bridget locked their apartment door. She continued out to the car, still holding her arm up, wincing with pain, when Bridget caught up to her.

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. My arm just hurts like a bitch. I guess l hit it harder than I thought."

"I told you to let coach take you to the hospital to have it looked at," Bridget told her.

"Yeah, and miss trials, I don't think so. I am going to ride, pain or no pain. I am going to make that team. I have to make the team Bridget. I don't understand why, I just do," she replied getting into Bridget's Jeep.

"I feel ya, Bevin, but I think it is your Irish stubbornness. You don't know when to stay down. Sometimes you need to rest up," Bridget stated.

"I'll rest when I am dead."

"Well isn't that just cynical?"

"It may be, but we have stiff competition to make the international team. We can't just go out and try; we have to want it more than they do. We have to prove that we deserve it. Bloody Hell, Bridget, you were at the meet two weeks ago. That kid from BC cleaned house. I've never seen someone ride like that. It was like he was part of the horse or something," she replied.

"I have," Bridget stated.

"Yeah, who?"

"You, you goof. You have the best movement of us all. It is no wonder you got the scholarship for your equestrian skills. Besides, I doubt that coach wouldn't select you. He'd be dumb not to. He knows it, too. You have a way with any beast that man gives you. You tamed Sherlock in a week."

"Sherlock was easy," Bevin answered.

"That isn't what coach said, but it doesn't matter. You broke him and now he is one of the finest to ride. You should be proud of that," Bridget replied.

"I am."

"Then what has you so worked up?"

"I think I just had a rough night. It isn't a big deal. I'll be okay. I think I just need some caffeine."

"Well, we can stop somewhere on the way and get some breakfast."

"That sounds good," Bevin replied absentmindedly.

Bevin stared out the window as they made their way downtown. She wasn't really paying attention to anything as Bridget pulled into the university parking lot and parked. Bridget punched her in the arm to get her attention and pointed out the windshield to the Coliseum before them. Bevin smiled, gathered her books and got out of the car. She followed Bridget as they made their trek to the main part of campus from the commuter lot. Bridget immediately headed to the Russell House so they could get something to eat. Bridget knew that Bevin was blindly following her, but she couldn't figure out why. If she could get Bevin out this fog, she was going to make her go to the Thompson Health Center to be seen. Bevin needed to be in good form for their meet in three weeks for the SEC Regionals.

"Come on. Let's eat. I am sure that you are starved."

"Yeah, sounds good," Bevin replied automatically.

"Alright, that's it. You are going to the clinic after you eat. You've been weird all morning."

"I'm fine. I promise. I guess I am just a little more rattled than I thought. Let's just eat. I am sure that I'll be fine after that," Bevin told her, sitting down with her tray of food.

"Alright, spill it. What has you so flustered? Something's up and it isn't because of that fall yesterday. Tell me what it is," Bridget demanded, sitting down with her food.

"I guess it was the kid from BC."

"Really?"

"Yeah, sorry. I guess he just got to me. I wasn't expecting to bother me so much. No one has ever scored higher than me in a meet. I was a little taken aback by it. I guess I just let that get to me, which is why I fell yesterday. My mind wasn't on the ride," Bevin confessed.

"So..."

"So what?"

"You like him?"

"I don't dislike him."

"You have a crush on a guy from another team?"

"I wouldn't say it was a crush per say. I would say that it an appreciation for talent. That kid could ride. He flowed with the horse. It was almost magical the way he was with his stallion. I just...I have a lot of respect for him. He treats his horse well, too," Bevin answered.

"Treats his horse well, huh? And, how would you know that? Did you talk to him in the stables?"

"No, I heard him talking to his horse there. He was rubbing the stallion down after he rode. He was talking to it, like he was calming it down after a hard run. He just had a way about him with the horse, like it was personal or something. I've only seen my cousins act like that with their horses. It was like the horse was pan of him and he was part of the horse. They belonged together, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," Bridget replied, laughing at her.

"Cause I am the same way?"

"Exactly, besides, you know coach is going to offer you a job after graduation. He wants you as a new assistant coach. He told me that he hasn't seen anyone ride like you in years. He thinks we need that for the team that you can teach that to us, you know? I wish I had the same grace that you do when you ride, but I don't. l am good, but you are flawless," Bridget told her.

"I am not flawless. I think that I proved that quite well, yesterday. There was just something about him. I couldn't put my finger on it, but there is just..."

"Fine, we'll Facebook stalk him later. Eat up. We got to go to class. And, just stop thinking about him for a while. We'll see what we can find out about later. We need to be heading to lab anyways."

They finished up their breakfast quickly and cleaned up their table. Bevin grabbed their books as they headed out the Russell House. She handed Bridget her book bag and they walked towards the Humanities Quad and the Darla Moore School or Business across campus.

As they were crossing through the North end of the Horseshoe, Bevin caught sight of two crows. They seemed to watching her and it made her a little uneasy. She looked at Bridget but didn't say anything. She didn't want to give Bridget any more fuel into thinking that she was losing it and making her go to the campus clinic. She had enough to worry about with grades, classes and getting ready for the meet without having to worry about some doctor telling her to relax and talk to one of the campus shrinks.

The crows stayed with them as they neared Gambrell Hall. Finally, Bevin was about to say something to Bridget about the crows when she saw a shimmer on the roof of Gambrell. She stopped walking and stared up at the roof, trying to figure out what caught her attention. Bridget stopped and looked up trying to figure out what Bevin was looking at. They both saw the two crows land on top of the building and stare down at them before 'cawing' at them. As soon as they started cawing, Bevin's cell phone rang.

She pulled her phone out, looked at the caller ID and then answered with her thick Irish accent coming out, "Hello, Shannon."

Bridget watched her, knowing that she had a strained relationship with her relatives. Bevin turned to her and smiled, trying to make Bridget go on to class without her. Bridget shook her head and sat down on the steps outside Gambrell to wait on her. Bevin made a face and walked away slightly to have a private conversation with her cousin on the phone.

"Hello, Shannon," she said again into the phone.

"Hello, Cousin."

"Wha dae ye need?" Bevin asked her as Bridget wrinkled her nose at Bevin's constantly thickening lilt.

"Granddadda would like to speak with you. He saes it is important and it cannae wait. He danae want ya to doddle. He saes to come home to Kildaire."

"I can't do that. I have things to do here. If he wants me to come, he can call me. I have to go to class. Tell him that I'll call back later. And, yes, Shannon, I remember the time difference," Bevin told her before hanging up.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I don't know what she wants, but I do know that I don't have time for it."

"What did she say?"

"That Granddadda wants me to come home."

"Is he okay?"

"I dunna know 'cause I dinnae talk to him."

"Bevin?"

"Yeah?"

"Calm down. You know that no one can understand your lilt when you get all worked up. We still have ten minutes. Let's get you a soda and find our seats, okay?" Bridget asked.

"Ya, sounds good. Sorry for this. I cannae help it."

"I know, Irish. I know. But, let's calm down now."

Bevin gave her a look and stood up from her seat. She followed her into Gambrell Hall. They made their way to the canteen and bought two Mountain Dews before making their way to their class. They sat down in their usual seats in the back just as the professor walked in and closed the door.

Bevin let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding. Bridget smiled at her and pushed the drink at her, wiggling her eyebrows and making a motion to drink. Bevin smiled back at her, finally calming and took a drink. She looked out the window of the classroom and saw the shimmer again. She did a double take when she saw the two crows perch on the window ledge and look right at her

**A/N: You may think that this has nothing to do with story, but I assure it does. Everything will be revealed in later chapters. This is a necessary part of the story and it will all make sense later. BTW, reviews are always appreciated. ~JET**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Regina stood up forcefully. She couldn't be seated any longer. She didn't like the look that Rhiannon was giving her. Her shoulders were burning from where Emma had been touching her. She turned to smile at Emma, to try to give her some reassurance that she wasn't going to break and to make herself believe it. She knew that this wasn't the first time since she'd been bound by Emma that she almost broke because she didn't have her magic.

Emma smiled, softly back at trying to help assuage Regina's fears, but knowing that she was doing no good. Magic was part of them both and while Emma had learned to control hers finally, she knew the destruction and the good that Regina could do. Regina was the one afraid of herself. There was no denying it. Emma saw the purple haze start to fill Regina's eyes, but knew that she couldn't summon the powers to act upon it.

"Regina?" Emma asked.

"I'll be alright," she answered as the purple haze started to dissipate.

The silent conversation that continued thru their eyes let Emma know that she would have to another binding later that night, in the privacy of their room. She knew the pain it would cause Regina to do it with Henry in the house, but they both could see that it was needed. lf she didn't get it under control tonight, there was no telling what she might do once they got to the Enchanted Forest.

Rhiannon remained sitting, waiting for them to address her again directly. She was amused by the emotional side of Regina with Emma. She remembered how guarded Regina had been when they were younger. She could remember the fire in Regina's eyes and the passion that she bore. This definitely was not the Regina she remembered. This Regina was broken, wounded, and better for it.

Rhiannon watched the silent interactions, the loving glances, the faint touches, all of them between them. She knew that Emma was still watching her. She was protective of Regina in a feral and carnal fashion. She had only seen that look before in someone eyes. It had been Regina when she talked about Daniel. She cocked her head while she thought about that. She knew that Regina hated to seem weak, but she conceited her strength to Emma. She smiled, realizing that Regina had indeed found her soul mate, the one person that handle her in every way and love her completely while she did it.

"Mom, Ma?" Henry asked as he returned to the study.

He could sense that something was going on. He didn't know what it was, but he knew it was big and it concerned his mother, Regina. He could see the pain and fear on her face, even though she was trying to hide it. He could sense the emotions in the air. He couldn't name them all or the feeling that was surrounding his mothers, but they were both worried.

"Henry, what is it, dear?" Regina asked, suddenly very sober in the moment.

"Dinner is ready. l put the lasagna on the table and the turnovers in the oven. Twenty minutes, right?"

"Yes, twenty minutes is correct. I hope that you set an extra space for Rhiannon. I am sure that she is staying for dinner. I will help you find a place to stay after we eat and then, l will help you find a way home. More than that, I cannot do for you, Rhiannon," Regina told her.

"We will speak later, I am sure."

"We will indeed. Miss Swan, are you ready for dinner? I am finding myself particularly famished now. Shall we go then? And, Henry, my darling little prince, you must tell me about your competition. How did you ride?" Regina asked, composing herself a little more with each phrase.

Rhiannon nodded in agreement. She stood and joined them as they walked into the dining room. She noted the stark whites and blacks that the house was decorated in. She noticed the complete lack of colors. Everything was black or white. The fixtures were all nickel or chrome. The absence of color made Rhiannon watch Regina closer.

She stared into the mirror across from the mahogany table. She traced the intricate design of the frame of the mirror with her eyes. Regina caught the movement and smiled. Rhiannon had always had an eye for details; it was another reason she and Regina got along so well.

"This is delicious," Rhiannon finally said, breaking the silence.

"Why thank you, Rhiannon. I believe that it is pepper flakes that give it a nice kick and sets it apart from other recipes. I am glad that you enjoy it."

"You cooked this?" Rhiannon asked, surprised.

"Yes, I did. I cook a lot of things. This happens to be one of my specialties."

"Don't forget about dessert, Mom. Your apple turnovers are the best. Wait until you taste those,"

Henry stated as he shoveled more lasagna into his mouth. Regina smiled at him. Each day he reminded her more and more of Emma with his mannerisms. She found it amazing how he acted like Emma when she was the one who reared him. He looked up at her smiling at him and smiled that same damn Charming smile that Emma had.

"Apple turnovers?" Rhiannon questioned, completely shocked by the situation.

"Yeah, they are the best. Fresh apples in a pastry shell with a little sugar on top, perfectly moist, ooey, gooey goodness. You'll love them. Trust me. Everyone does," Emma told her as she shoved another forkful of lasagna in her mouth.

Rhiannon almost giggled at Regina's face. She couldn't believe the look on Regina's face at their table manners. She knew that Regina was seething, but she wouldn't say anything at the table. It was unladylike, even if she was the head of the family and royal. She wouldn't demean herself in that way before Rhiannon and Rhiannon knew it. But, she could see the fire behind Regina's eyes and she knew that there would be a long conversation between the family before her later.

"So, Kid, how was your meet? You didn't tell me earlier. You win?" Emma asked, trying to distract the very unamused Regina from their plight in manners.

Henry looked up at his mother and beamed. He put his fork down on his plate and was reward with a smile. He smiled back at Regina across the table before he became very animated in the telling of his story. Emma lit up as well, beaming with pride at the accomplishments of their son. Rhiannon could see the love reflected on all their faces. It was this sight that made Rhiannon join in their enthusiasm. She would talk to Regina later, but now, she would share in Henry's triumph.

"Well our competition was in Virginia. It was really pretty there and not as cold. I had fun. I wish you could have joined us down there, but I understood why you couldn't," Henry told them.

Emma watched Regina wince at the news. She knew that Regina was over protective of the boy and him being out of Boston, even for a little while and not in Storybrooke, pained her. Emma gave her a reassuring smile and Regina calmed.

"It was awesome. There were teams from all over the country there. The international equestrian team coach was there as well. He rode in an exhibition run. You would have loved to see him ride, Mom."

Regina turned to face him, beaming with a smile. He couldn't hide his enthusiasm for riding. It was something that he could share with Regina and they both loved that. Regina looked at his dancing hazel eyes and deepened her smile.

"I would have, Henry, and why is that?"

"He was magnificent. It was like he was one with the horse. You know, like you tell me to be? He made it look so effortless. He reminded me of watching you ride. It was beautiful," Henry told her.

"Thank you, dear, that means a lot coming from you," Regina told him, smiling a little bigger.

"I wish I had the video so you could watch it."

"But, Kid, how did you do?" Emma asked bringing the conversation back for everyone.

"I did alright, I guess."

"What do you mean you guess?" Emma questioned.

"Well, I placed first in the men's division over all."

"That's great, Henry," Regina told him.

"Over all, huh? I thought you were riding jumps and stuff. What does over all mean?" Emma asked.

"I got first place in all three events for individual and then we won all three as team."

"So you mean you got six first place awards?" Regina asked, totally wrapped in his story.

"Yeah, I got all six. BC took first over all for teams. We came in fourth in the women's individual though. It was a great meet for the school. We were a long shot according to all the specs and notes they had from around the country."

"So you were the 'dark horse' winners, my little Prince?" Regina replied.

Emma and Henry laughed at the joke, but Rhiannon looked on fascinated. She didn't understand the humor of having a dark horse. She couldn't help, however, but to be proud of Henry achievements. She smiled along with them as they continued their discussion of the horse competition as they ate. Rhiannon didn't notice the change in demeanor until Emma was taking her plate.

"Hey, Henry, help me with the dishes and then we'll go...um...call your grandmother about tomorrow night. I'll catch up with you, Regina. You two go talk. We'll clean this up," Emma told her.

Rhiannon smiled still impressed with the level of domestication between them. It wasn't what she would have expected from the Queen of Winterlands, but Regina always had been an enigma. Regina nodded, in a royal fashion, in agreement and stood from the table. Rhiannon follow suit and then followed Regina back to the study.

Once they were out of ear shot, Henry turned to Emma, "Who is she?"

"Your Mom already told you. She is Rhiannon, Queen of Tir Nan Og. She is one of your Mom's old friends, from you know where," Emma told him.

"I heard all that earlier. But, who is she really? What does she want?" he questioned as they started washing dishes in the kitchen.

He watched as Emma tensed. He knew that she wasn't sure how to answer him. It was in that moment that he knew something was off.

"Don't lie."

"I wasn't going to lie, Henry. I can't tell you what I don't know. I don't know anything about her."

"How is that?"

"Well, she showed up shortly before you did. It was quite a shock for your Mom. She didn't seem too happy that she was here. I've tried to give her some room to talk, but I am not sure that Regina wants to be alone with her. I am sure that they have some history."

"Shouldn't you be in there then?" Henry asked.

"I trust her. I know you do, too. She'll tell me what she needs to tell me, when she is ready," Emma told him.

Truth was that she was worried. She had seen the fury in Regina's eyes before dinner. She could feel the familiar tingle of the magic coming back. She didn't want to worry Henry with that. He had enough to deal with this weekend with his birthday and such. He didn't need to be worried about how his mother was reacting to an uninvited guest.

"But there is more, isn't there?" he asked, studying her face.

"Yeah, Kid, there is, but I'll deal with it. I promise. Everything is going to be fine. You'll see."

"Still want to call Grandma Snow and Grandpa?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Am I going to have to dress up, again?" Henry asked, turning his attention to his party.

"I am sure that Snow has the tailors waiting to do finishing touches on some crazy outfit for you. Enjoy it, Kid. I know that l can't wait to see what crazy dress she has for me to wear," Emma told him.

"I am sure it is big and puffy."

"Oh, I am sure it is."

They laughed, but they knew that it was true. Ever since Snow and Charming had returned to the Enchanted Forest, it seemed like they were trying to make up for lost time. The extravagant balls and celebrations they threw were over the top even for them. No one seemed to complain. Everyone loved the parties and the fun. The greatest thing about them for Henry and Emma was that no one seemed to even mind that Regina was there.

"Do you know what colors they are planning this time?" Henry asked.

"I have no idea. I haven't really talked to them about any of it. Snow wanted it that way. She says that besides you knowing that there is a party in your honor for your birthday, that you weren't to know anything else, and that your aunts were coming home with us afterward. Something about she and Charming are going on a tour of the land to check on everyone that came back."

"Yeah, the 'Royal Tour,' they do it once a year."

"I know, but it just seems odd that they would plan it after your birthday party."

"Maybe there is something else they need to tell us when they get there," Henry suggested.

"I hope it isn't some crazy quest. l am kind of tired of questing. ljust want to sit at home with your Mom and be happy. Can't we have that?"

"Don't you know: we are the heirs to their throne?

"Don't remind me. Snow keeps trying to get me to come there. She understands that I love Regina, but she still banished her. I won't live there without her. You would think that after five years, they would get it through their heads that I am not leaving her...or you," Emma told him.

"She worries. Il guess it is a 'mom' thing. And, don't look at me like that. I know you saw the look that Mom was giving me when she found out that I was in Virginia and not Boston. I thought her head was going to explode," Henry explained.

"I forgot to tell her," Emma offered.

"You know how she gets. Do you remember what it took to let her let me go to Boston College? Ma, she was mess. I know she doesn't like going outside of Storybrooke, but she needs to get out of here, out of her comfort zone. l know she is the mayor and all, but even she needs a break," Henry stated.

"I've been trying, Kid. Hopefully, our adventure to your Grandparents' castle will do something for her mood. I hate seeing her like this, but she won't let me take her anywhere else.

"What if she doesn't have a choice?" Henry asked, conspiratorially, grinning up at Emma.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Rhiannon followed Regina back into her study. They sat opposite each other and stared at each other. Regina wasn't sure what she was going to say. She was always one for few words. She knew what she wanted and she went after it. Times had changed. She had changed. Everything that she fought so hard to have had changed.

"Your curse was your undoing?" Rhiannon asked finally breaking the silence.

"It was after a fashion."

"Do you want to explain that to me?"

"Why should I Rhiannon? I know that I owe you a blood debt, but I don't know how I can repay it. I have been forbidden from crossing realms. I am very much stuck here. Perhaps if you had come four years ago, I could have helped you as you wish. I have no power here. This land doesn't have magic like ours," Regina told her.

"I understand that, Regina. I have felt the difference. But, I have also felt the presence of my daughter. Can you help me find her at all?"

"I doubt it."

"Can Gold?"

"You would deal with the dark one?"

"If I had to, yes, I would. I want my daughter back, Regina. I am willing to do whatever I must in order to do that. I will die if need be to bring her back to Tir Nan Og. I want to know that she is alright and that she knows who she really is. I need to name her my successor and prove that she is my blood before a war erupts for the throne. Surely even you can understand that."

"I was never worried about a successor unfortunately. My husband, if you could call him that, was. I was worried about finding happiness, wherever it may be. When I lost everything that made me happy, I decided that no one would be happy. I decided to kill happiness."

"But, you didn't succeed?" Rhiannon asked.

"No, instead the curse gave me my happiness and now I will do anything that I have to protect it. Henry and Emma are my life and happiness. They are the reasons that I agreed to my banishment and I asked Emma to bind my powers. I realized that I used magic to hurt others to get what I wanted. I had what I wanted, so I no longer needed to hurt anyone."

"I understand, Regina. I wished you had called on me before you bound your powers. I could have helped you. We both know what my magic could have done for you. Why didn't you call on me, Regina? Did you forget our promise to each other?"

"No, I didn't. Honestly, I didn't want to remember. I was lost and drifting along through this life that I created because of the curse. My heart hurt and I thought that my magic, the magic that my mother and Rumple corrupted would heal the pain inside. It didn't. It only made more pain. I was so far gone and my heart so black, I would have killed you had you come to me. It is better that I didn't let you know, for both our sakes."

"What happened to you, Regina? What caused this horrible darkness to befall you? Who is to blame?" Rhiannon asked.

"Ultimately? My mother, but she is not alone. I have to accept the blame as well."

"But, your mother is dead, now, correct?"

"Yes, she is," Regina stated, a tear forming in her eyes.

"I am sorry, my dear. I didn't mean to make you sad. I just wanted to know the truth. You are right that the years have not been kind to either of us. I wish that there was something that I could have done to help you more, when you needed a friend, but I was not there for you. We made a blood oath that night, I could not fulfill my end of the bargain. I apologize for that."

"Rhiannon, would you forget that night all together? We were children. Stupid, idiotic children who thought that we were invincible. We had no real idea how cruel the world was. We only knew what we were led to believe. I caused so much pain and destruction that I am happy to pay my penance with Emma and Henry here," Regina told her.

"We are both looking for the same thing," Rhiannon stated.

"Oh, yeah, and what is that?"

"A happy ending with our family."

"I can't help you, Rhiannon. No matter how hard I try, I can't. I…if you want, I'll talk to Emma and Henry about you coming tomorrow for his birthday celebration. I'll get you an audience with Snow and Charming. Maybe there is something that they can do. Maybe there is something that they know. I am sorry, but I can't help you. I just…" Regina got up and left the room, tears straining to fall.

Rhiannon followed her out and watched as she ran up the stairs. Emma heard the commotion and came out of Henry's room. She was down the stairs and before Rhiannon before she could stop herself. Henry stood on the landing, still studying the woman that was upsetting his mothers. He cocked his head trying to figure out what was going on in the Swan-Mills house.

"Inside. Now. We need to talk," Emma told her as she strode into Regina's study.

Emma waited for Rhiannon to follow her into the room. She closed the door and spun around to face the taller woman. Her green eyes burning into the sky blue.

"Sit."

"I am not used to being commanded," Rhiannon stated.

"This isn't your world. It is mine and here, I am the authority. Sit."

Rhiannon took her seat. Emma paced the room, mostly staying behind Regina's desk. Rhiannon watched her realizing that she was gathering her thoughts before she said anything.

"Do you have any idea what your presence is doing to her?"

"No, I don't."

"She…ah…damn it all to Hell. Look, lady, whoever you are doesn't matter here. I love her and I will do anything for her. She must have told you that much."

"She did."

"Then, what's the deal? Why are you really here? What the Hell is really going on?"

"Are you really prepared for those answers, Sherriff?" Rhiannon asked her.

"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't."

"Please sit down, Emma. You'll wear a hole in Regina's floor with the anger you pacing. I will tell you everything that I can. If you can promise me one thing," Rhiannon stated.

"Yeah, what's that?"

"You will tell me the truth to any question that I ask once I am done," Rhiannon replied.

"That depends on whether I believe your story or not. You see I can tell when people are lying. Henry calls it my super power. I don't know about it being super, but it has helped me a lot."

"I shall agree to your terms, dear Sherriff," Rhiannon answered.

"Fine. Start talking and make me a believer. What do you want with Regina?"

* * *

"Regina, my dear, is that anyway to greet our friends?" Cora asked her.

Regina shrank back as her mother scolded her. She straightened herself up. She curtseyed the group in front of her and smiled at the young lady leading the group.

"May I present, Princess Regina of Winterlands, my lady," Cora told the group.

"She is a fine daughter. I see that she'll be a queen one day. You have done well for yourself Miller's daughter. We have much to discuss. Shall we leave our daughters together? Our alliance will help cement the future of our realms," the tall gentleman behind the girl stated.

"Yes, King Bran, please follow me," Cora stated, ushering the grouping away save the girl.

"Who are you?" Regina asked, when they were gone.

"I am Rhiannon, Princess of Tir Nan Og. You must be Regina. My father has spoken a lot of you in the past years. Seems he thinks that an alliance with you will be beneficial for us."

"I have no power. I am the daughter of the fifth son of the King. I don't stand to inherit anything. However I fear my mother's power. She has a single mission on her mind and she doesn't care who she hurts to get it."

"Aye, and what mission is that?"

"To make me queen."

"You don't wish to be queen?" Rhiannon asked her.

"No, I don't. I would rather be riding horses. It is the one indulgence that my mother allows my father to give me. He built her this wonderful castle and she is just so mean to him about it. She believes that we should live in the palace in the capital. I am afraid that I have my father's temperament when it comes to politics," Regina told her.

"Aye, and what's that?"

"That I have none."

Rhiannon laughed at the statement. She could see the greatness inside Regina even if Regina didn't. Rhiannon smiled at her.

"Have you heard of the land of Tir Nan Og?" Rhiannon asked.

"Not before you came, I had not."

"But, yet, you know of the Fae in this land?"

"The Fae?" Regina asked.

"Fairies and elves," Rhiannon asked.

"Yes, we have them here. Why do you ask? What does that have to do with anything?"

"I am the Princess of the Fae. I am from the land that the fairies are from. We sent some out years ago to test the magics of the different lands. Some of the fairies chose to stay in the other lands and become the subjects of those lands. Occasionally, one acts out and we have to come deal with them," Rhiannon told her.

"You are a fairy princess?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes, I am."

"But, why are you here?"

"It seems that a certain fairy has set up shop in your kingdom. She could do some serious damage if she isn't tempered. My father believes that she doesn't mean harm to you or your people. He believes that she has become misguided and twisted by the ways of your land."

"I want to help you," Regina stated.

"Why are you so worried about this?"

"Because I care for my people. I don't want any harm to come to them. I will do what I must to protect them. That is my duty, is it not?"

"It is as a princess of the realm, but that is why my father and your mother are talking. They are going to find her and deal with her. It isn't in our power to deal with this," Rhiannon told her.

"I don't understand why your father would be talking to my mother," Regina stated.

"Surely you have met your mother's imp. The one that gave her the powers she has. I am sure that you have seen him. Father believes that he has something to do with this. However this imp has cloaked himself and Father cannot see him. He knows that your mother has dealings with him. He wants her to help us find him," Rhiannon told her.

"I doubt that my mother will help you, then. She is highly protective of her power and of him. I think that she once loved him, well, if you could call it love. I don't think that my mother knows how to love anyone," Regina replied.

"Of course she does, Regina. She has a heart, doesn't she? She may just have a hard way of showing her love to you. But, not to worry, I think that we are going to be good friends."

"We will be, if mother lets me."

"How about we promise to be friends? We'll look out for each other. We'll take care of each other. I need someone from the Enchanted Forest to be on my side. I am sure as you get older it will be nice to have a Fae as a friend."

"I am sure that it will. But, Rhiannon, you must remember one thing. I am not truly in line to be queen of this kingdom. How do you know that I will need you?" Regina asked.

"You will need me one day as I will need you. I'll come for you. But, trust me on one thing, Regina, just as your mother plans, someday you will be queen," Rhiannon told her.

* * *

"What are you trying to tell me?" Emma asked.

"Just remember that she is also a princess, Sherriff. One day, she'll regain the powers that she has and she'll want the crown, again. One day, Regina will live up to her destiny."

"I don't know what fucking game you're playing at. She was the queen. She gave it up for the quiet life she always wanted. And, just so you know, I know that she is a princess. She is my princess and she is my Queen. She is the mayor here, which you may not know, makes her the elected queen of these people."

"I see," Rhiannon stated.

"And, one more thing, I am also a princess."

Rhiannon just stared at Emma. Emma's eyes burned with passion and something else. Rhiannon recognized that Emma would do anything for Regina, but she didn't know that she had also given up a crown so that she could have her happiness. Rhiannon just stared after her as she left the room.

"Emma, wait, I'm sorry," Rhiannon stated.

"I don't have time. I have to go speak with my parents. We have plans for tomorrow. I am sure that Regina has already invited you along. That means because of her civility and upstanding manners, I have to prep my parents for your arrival. I am sure that they will be delighted to have another queen from another realm come to our son's birthday party. Now, excuse, I've things to take care of," Emma replied, storming up the stairs and into the room she shared with Regina.

Henry stared at Rhiannon, again from the landing. He smiled at her, unsure of what happened behind closed doors, but he was determined to find out what Rhiannon wanted. He slowly made his way down the stairs and met her eye to eye.

"Hi, I'm Henry."

"So, I heard Master Henry. You have a strong name. Were you named for your mother's father?" she asked him.

"I was."

"It is a strong name. I am sure that you do his honor proud. Regina is proud of you. I can tell. She loves you with all her being," Rhiannon told him.

"I know she does. And, I love both of my mothers. I want you to be honest with me."

"Anything, Master Henry, just ask," she told him, unsure of what his motivation was.

"Why are you really here?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Bevin, your grandfather is on the phone. Says he has to speak with you now. He won't let me take a message," Bridget told her.

"Fine, I'll talk to him."

Bridget handed her the cordless phone. Bevin took it, took a breath and then held it up to her ear. She gave Bridget a pleading look and Bridget left the room to give her some privacy.

"Hallo, Granddadda," she said into the phone.

"Hallo, my girl," he replied.

"What can I do for yae?"

"I need yae to come home."

"I cannae and you know that."

"There are things that yae cannae kin, my girl. I need yae to come home. There are things that I need to tell yae. Things that are best said to yaer face and not on the phone," he told her.

"I dinnae have time to come home, now. I have break in a few weeks. It'll have to wait."

"It cannae."

"Then yae better starting talking," Bevin told him.

"Those stories I told yae as wee bairn, when you were a lass, are all true, my girl."

"They are stories and legends, Granddadda," she replied, resolutely.

"Not all stories are fiction, my girl."

"Granddadda, I don't have time for this. I am gonna miss practice. I have to go."

"Bevin Rhiannon Cavanaugh, listen to me!" he yelled at her thru the phone.

"I am not a little girl anymore, Granddadda. I can handle myself. I dinnae know why you are so worried about some myths. I am fine. I have to get ready for a meet next week. I dinnae have time to fly to Kildaire just because you are worried about me."

"I'm not worried about you, girl. I know that yae can take care of yae-self. I need to tell yae more though. I dinnae wanna do it over the phone, lass. I need to tell you to yae face. Grant an old man's wish and come home where yae belong and let me tell yae what yae need to know."

"I am not coming home to Kildaire. I'm sorry, Granddadda. I cannae right now. I have to worry about school and other things. Yae know why I am here," she told him.

"I know yae're at the bloody University, girl. But, there are things yae dinnae kin at work. There are things yae dinnae kin at all. The family history is one of them, my girl."

"I...Why is this so important? Bloody Hell, Granddadda, why now? Can you tell me that?" she asked.

"Answer me one question and I'll leave yae alone if yae want," he replied to her.

She could hear the desperation in his voice, but she wasn't moved by it. She knew that the old man was becoming senile. He hadn't been happy about her moving to the States to go to school, but she got a full scholarship and was captain of the female equestrian team. She was more worried about his mental state, but she wasn't going to let him guilt her into coming back home because of some stories.

"What is that, Granddadda?"

"Have the marks appeared?"

"What marks?"

"On yae arms, girl, the marks. Have any unexplained markings appeared on yaer arms? Well, have they or not?" he questioned demandingly.

Bevin almost dropped the phone. She didn't know what to say. She wanted to lie to him, but then again, she didn't. She couldn't explain where the tattoos on her arms came from and now, she wanted to know how her Granddadda, who was thousands of miles away, knew they were there.

"I'll take yae silence as me answer," he stated.

She was furious. He knew something and he wasn't telling her everything. What was it about the stories that he hadn't told her?

"What haven't yae told me, old man?"

"Come home and I'll tell yae everything."

"Gah, I dinnae have time for this. Why won't you tell? What does this have to do with me?"

"Everything, my girl, everything."

"I cannae deal with this right now, Granddadda. I'll call you back later. I am sorry, I have to go," Bevin told him hanging up the phone before he could reply.

She walked into the common room of their apartment and sat down on the couch. Bridget waited for Bevin to say something. She didn't know how to help Bevin right now. She could tell that something was wrong and that her Granddad had set her off. Bridget had been on the receiving end of Bevin's lovely Irish temper, but right now, she knew that she a friend.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Not really," Bevin replied.

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Yeah, do you remember the name of the Professor that specialized in Celtic Lore and myth?"

"You mean Dr. Seamus. Yeah, he is a quack. Remember sitting through his class for British History."

"Yeah, I do. I don't care. I need to see him. Can you take me to campus?" Bevin asked her.

Bridget regarded her roommate for a minute before she decided to answer. She could see a wildness in her sky blue eyes that she'd never seen before. Bevin looked like a woman possessed. Bridget wasn't sure what was going on with but she knew that she didn't like it. It was like Bevin had changed into someone else overnight and whatever her grandfather said to her set it off further.

"Bevin, slow down and talk to me. What is going on? I'll take you to campus, but I need you to calm down. You're flying off about something. Tell me what's going on," Bridget begged her.

"I don't know what's going on. I need to see Dr. Seamus. He'll know what I am talking about."

"So, I won't?"

"No," Bevin answered flatly.

"Try me."

"Bridget..."

"No, Bevin, tell me. What did your grandfather say that upset you so bad? Wait, was it something he said or not? Talk to me. What the hell is going on with you? And, don't tell me nothing."

Bevin looked at her. Her eyes were wild and scared. Bridget didn't know what to do, but she wasn't going to let Bevin go off half-cocked on some cockamamie quest for knowledge without knowing why. She liked the fiery Irish girl, but there was something else about her that Bridget just never could quite get her finger on. She knew that Bevin was mostly a private person, except when it came to horses.

She knew that Bevin came to America to the University of South Carolina on a scholarship, but why she chose USC over the University of Dublin, Bridget never asked. It never seemed relevant. Now, she could only wonder if it had something to do with Bevin's family back in Kildaire.

"I dinnae know."

"Well, then tell me what you do know. Then maybe, I'll think about looking up Dr. Seamus' number so we can call to see if he is still on campus and arrange to meet with him. If he isn't there, then we can go to Thomas Cooper and see what we can find out on our own. I am sure that the library has some books on whatever it is that has you in a tizzy," Bridget explained to her.

"Bridget..."

"No. No buts this time, Irish. You tell me what is going on or you can find your own way to campus."

Bevin sighed. She didn't know what to tell Bridget, but she needed to appease her own curiosity. She decided that truth was the best option, even if she left a little of the mythology out for Bridget's own good. She, herself, didn't believe all the stories, but she had the marks, now.

"It isn't a simple tale."

"We've got the time," Bridget stated, "There is no practice today and we are already out of class. So, spill it. I'm listening."

Bevin laughed slightly. She knew that Bridget was trying to lighten the mood. It helped.

"So I'm sure that you have heard of the Irish folk stories."

"Yeah," Bridget answered.

"Well, growing up in Ireland, they are considered stories by the older generations. They are fact. Sometimes they even convince themselves that they have proof. Sometimes you can't disprove their reasoning or their evidence. But, then problem is that they are all just stories for most folk."

"Okay, what does this have to do with anything?"

"My Granddadda told me these stories when l was a child. As a child, with my imagination, l thought that I was part of them. I wanted to live in a time of fairies and elves and such, you know."

"What kid doesn't?" Bridget asked.

"Fantasy is always a big thing with kids. Kildaire is no exception to that fact. We are taught how the English changed our words to match something they could say. We are taught how the Romans came to our lands but couldn't conquer the Celts. Our history is a mixture of myth and legend with actual fact. We, as the Irish people, have come to learn that we may never know more than the myths about some of our history. We accept that. We embrace it, whole-heartedly for the most part."

"Alright, so what does that have to do with you?"

"I've been marked."

"What the hell does that mean, Bevin?" Bridget asked her, suddenly worried.

"There are some legends that concern the fairies. They are called the Youthful or those that do not age. Don't get me wrong by all accounts, they age just really slowly compared to us."

"Okay, and?"

"It is said that the fairies sometime mark the children of men. They do this because they believe that the children possess magic or have some destiny to fulfill for the betterment of the land. The markings range in size and shape, color and design, but they all appear without warning or knowledge of the bearer. Sometimes they show up early in life and the elders recognize them for what they are. Sometimes they show up later in life when the children forget the stories of the fairies," Bevin said.

"So, what does that have to do with you, Bevin? None of this is making any sense to why you are freaking out about a phone call from your grandfather. Can you explain that to me?" Bridget inquired.

Bevin just nodded in response. Bridget watched as Bevin began to cry without sobbing. Bridget

cocked her head as she pushed up both of her t-shirt sleeves to reveal the tattoos upon her forearms. Bridget's eyes widened as Bevin turned her hands over, showing her the intricate knot work upon her arms. Bridget questioned her with her eyes.

"When did you get those?"

"I have no idea."

"But, you haven't been anywhere without me since we got home from Virginia. How did you? I don't understand, Bevin. How did they just appear like that? Tattoos don't just appear," Bridget told her.

"They do if you're Irish."

"Don't give that line of bullshit. I-low long have they been there? Can you tell me that?"

"Three days," Bevin said.

"What the Hell do you mean three days?" Bridget asked.

"Exactly what I said. I saw them for the first time the other day when l got out of the shower. It freaked me out, but I didn't say anything to you about it at the time. l figured I was still hung over or something," Bevin told her.

"That was the morning you asked me if we had been out drinking," Bridget said, matter-of-factually.

"Yeah, that was when l first noticed them."

"That was also the day that your cousin Shannon called you."

"It was."

"So, can you explain that?"

"Not at all."

Bridget shook her head in disbelief. She didn't know what to think. Bevin was sitting in front of her with her arms rest on her lap. Bridget looked at the tattoos again. She still couldn't believe that Bevin couldn't remember getting them, but they didn't look fresh either. She reached out to touch them to test a theory she was forming.

"Can l touch them?" Bridget asked, as she leaned forward towards Bevin.

"Yeah, go ahead. It isn't like it is going to hurt. They are just there," Bevin told her.

Bridget reached out and ran her fingers over the tattoos. They weren't raised or inflamed. For all intensive purposes, they appeared to be years old. Bridget just shook her head because she knew that she would have seen them before now if Bevin really had them that long.

"They feel old," Bridget told her.

"I know."

Bridget just stared up into her icy blue eyes. She could see the pain and wondered what else Bevin wasn't telling. She just couldn't understand how Bevin could have hidden the tattoos from her. She didn't believe that Bevin would lie to her about this, but it just wasn't making any sense to her, either.

It was then that Bridget realized that Bevin's grandfather had said something to her about the tattoos, but he had called them something else. Bevin used the same terminology. She called them markings. It was if Bevin knew what they were, but didn't know what they meant at the same time. Suddenly, Bridget wanted to know more about it all.

"So what did you Granddadda say about them that caused you to get so upset?"

"He asked me if I had them," Bevin answered.

"I…how did he know that they were there?"

"I don't know. That is why I want to talk to Dr. Seamus. He has done a lot of research on the lore. There are some things that I need to ask him. I need some clarification, if you will," Bevin stated.

"Well then, let's call him and arrange a meeting. We need to figure this out. We'll do it together."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I hope that you are all enjoying this as much as I am writing it. I am trying for a episodic feel. There will be more flash backs so we can see how SwanQueen happened and more. Please bear with me as I write, I promise that everything that you find out while reading it will all make sense in the end. I am going to try to do it in a format of Regina and Emma for two chapters and then Bevin's story for a chapter. But, they will merge before the end, I promise. Please review and let me know if you like it. I hope that you do. Thanks, ~JET**

**Chapter 7**

Regina was lying on the bed when Emma came in. She knew that Regina was upset and it hurt her that she was. Emma could hear the soft sobs coming from her as she crossed the room to their bed. She remembered a time when it would have been Regina consoling her instead. Emma slowly sank to her knees beside the bed and looked up at Regina. She gave her a weak smile, hoping that Regina would return it, and when she didn't, Emma took her hand.

"Regina?"

"Yes?"

Emma looked into her dark eyes, still seeing the purple haze floating behind them. She willed herself to remain calm as her green eyes watched her lovers. Regina lifted her head to look at Emma better before she put it back on the pillow. She wiped away the tears on her cheeks and gave Emma a lopsided grin.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine, dear," Regina replied.

"I know that you feel it, Regina. I'm going to have to bind you again. I'll wait until they all go to bed. I'll cast something for the sound, so you'll be able to scream out," Emma told her.

"I understand, dear."

"Please don't be like that. You know that I don't want to do this because of the verdict. I am doing this for you. Magic is your drug and we have to curb it."

"I know that, Emma. I am painfully reminded of that every day. Don't think that this is easy for me, either. I hate it. I hate that I turned into the one person that I didn't want to be. I hate the fact that magic almost cost me everything that I love. I hate the fact that it was so addictive that I couldn't stop. I kept looking for more. I didn't care if it was dark or not. I just wanted the power and the feeling it gave me. I could have whatever I wanted, but it still wasn't enough in the end, was it?" Regina asked.

"The power may have given you what you wanted, but you still couldn't fully control the hearts of those you cared for. You gave up everything for Henry to heal your heart. You continue to do that every day. I know that it is a battle of the heart for you, but remember that I love you. Henry loves you," Emma told her.

"I know that, dear. It is one of the reasons that my life is bearable. I am grateful that I have you and Henry to help me through...my troubles. I am just sorry that this happened so soon to us going back to the Enchanted Forest. I have a feeling that I will be ill while we are there for the most part."

"Ill?"

"I don't know that I will be able to face Snow and Charming. I...I don't want to stop you and Henry from going. Maybe I should just stay here. I think that would be best," Regina told her.

"Oh, you do, do you?"

"Yes, I do. And, you know that it is true. I can't be trusted with magic. You've seen what I'm capable of doing. I don't want to hurt anyone. I'll stay here. I don't want to...It is for the best."

"Then, I'll just ask Mom what she thinks about all this," Emma told her.

"You would ask your mother about me? You know what she'll say. We both know that she'll be glad that I've chosen to stay behind. That it is for the best for everyone that I didn't come. I know that she resents the fact that we are still together, Emma."

"Don't be so sure of yourself, Regina."

"How can I not? We tried to destroy each other too many times for us to actually get along. There is no love between us. You know our history. You know that it is true," Regina told her.

"And, that is why my mother has let you live at every turn? She constantly goes to bat for you, hoping that you'll change and prove them all wrong. She consistently pardons your life for banishment and it isn't out of love?" Emma questioned.

"I don't know why she does it. I have never understood your mother's intentions for anything. They never made sense to me. Only Snow knows what Snow is thinking."

"Have you ever thought to ask her about it?"

"Oh, yes, because that is on the top of my list of things to do while back in the Enchanted Forest."

"Gahh….why do you have to be so stubborn?"

"Why do you have to be so loving and hopeful?"

"Because I am a Charming, it's what we do."

"Well, I am a Mills and it is what I do."

"Talk to her then. Henry and I still have to make the 'call' home. I need to prepare her for Rhiannon, if she is coming. I just assumed that you would like her to come with us. Plus, I would think it better that she comes along with us and not be left to her own devices here in Storybrooke," Emma told her.

"I doubt that your mother has any comforting words for me, Emma. But, you are right; Rhiannon cannot stay here unless I do. I believe that it is a perfect solution to our imperfect situation. I'll just stay back with her. Maybe, I can figure out a way to help her," Regina stated.

"Then you can tell Henry, yourself. I am not going to be the one that breaks his heart. You can have that pleasure, Madam Mayor," Emma told her, the anger apparent in her voice. "You know that he has been waiting for this all semester. But, go ahead; break your son's heart."

Emma left her alone. She was angry, but part of her understood Regina's reasoning. She didn't agree with it and she needed Regina to see that it was bigger than her this time. She could only hope that Regina would come around before morning.

Henry stood his ground and didn't back down. He gave her his most serious look, which almost made Rhiannon want to laugh. He certainly took after his mother and his grandparents.

"You want to know why I am really here?"

"Yes, I do."

"Your mothers' haven't told you?" she questioned.

"No, they haven't. All Mom and Ma told me was that you are an old friend of Mom's from the other realm. Ma may have mentioned that you were some sort of royalty, but I'm not sure. You are sure dressed like someone of some standing from the other realm. So, I ask again, why are you really here?"

She smiled at the boy, well, the almost man. He was worried about his mothers. She was proud of Regina for rearing such a caring boy. The Sheriff was obviously where he got his mannerisms and attitude, but she could see Regina's rearing in his actions. He was a little of both of them.

"I came to ask your mother for some help," she replied simply.

"Help doing what?"

"I lost something that I need to find soon."

"This object, it has power?" he asked.

"I believe so, yes."

"What is it?"

"Well, you are direct," she replied.

"I find that it is the best way to learn what you want to know. My moms used to lie to me to protect me. I hated it. They learned really quickly that I inherited my Ma's superpower."

"Superpower?"

"Yes, I can tell when someone is lying to me. So, this object has power, but it is more to you than that. What is this object that you are so adamant about finding?"

"My daughter," she told him.

He stood a little straighter. He could feel her plight and knew that she was being truthful with him. He studied her a little while before he spoke again.

"You daughter, she is powerful like you?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"No, she was taken from me when she was but a wee bairn," she told him.

"Wee bairn?"

"It means she was a small baby," Rhiannon told him.

"How old would she be now?"

"That is just it, I don't know."

"How can you not know?" he asked her.

"Because time moves differently in my realm than it does in yours."

"But, you think that Mom can help you find her."

"I have a pretty good feeling that she can, yes," Rhiannon replied.

"She doesn't do magic anymore," he stated.

"So, I've heard."

"Perhaps, Ma could help you."

"Excuse me?"

"Ma, she has magic. She might be able to help you. It is kinda her thing."

"She really didn't seem interested in helping me earlier," Rhiannon stated.

"Would you be?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You came here and upset them. You demand that Mom help you. Ma is very protective of Mom. They have a complicated history, among other things. Ma will do anything that she can for Mom. Surely, you saw that in her eyes when you were all talking," Henry stated.

"I did."

"Then, you know that Emma would do anything for her. Look, they think that I don't know that Ma has to bind Mom's magic every so often. I know it must hurt, because I have heard Mom screaming as Ma did it. They try to protect me from it because they know what I think about magic. I know that not all magic is bad. Mom realized that and it changed her heart. She tried so hard, but she asked for Emma to bind her. She felt it was safer for everyone," he told her.

"You know more than they think you do," she stated.

"I know."

"Have you told them that you know?"

"No, they need to believe that I am still naïve. It helps them believe that I am not growing up too fast. I understand their want to protect me. I mean I am the grandson of the Dark One and the Charmings. My Ma is the Savior and my Mom is the Evil Queen. I've kinda had to learn to deal with some really messed up stuff growing up."

"I am sure that you did, Henry, but you seem to have adjusted well to it."

"Adjusted is a good word for it. They don't think that I understand the complexity of the situations that they find themselves in, but I do. I was raised here. I was born here. Yeah, it might have been to people from Fairy Tale Land, but I was born here. That makes me different from everyone else here. I was different from the beginning. All the kids I grew up with were all from there, I wasn't. I knew I was different. I knew that there was something wrong."

"How did you deal with that, Henry?"

"I brought my moms together."

"How did you do that?" Rhiannon asked him.

"I went and got Emma from Boston. I made her come back with me. I made her see that everyone here was from Fairy Tale Land and she broke the curse. I don't know what brought Mom and her closer, but I want to think that it was Neverland. I don't know though. I know that if I hadn't brought Emma back the curse would have never been lifted," Henry told her.

"I see."

"So all of this is because you knew you were different?"

"That is only part of it. No, most of this goes back further. If you know my Mom, then you knew her mother. You did know Cora, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did have the unfortunateness of knowing your grandmother," she replied.

"Didn't we all," he muttered, before continuing, "She started all of this because of her lust for power. Mom won't admit it. I get it. She still loves her mother because she is her mother. Cora wasn't nice and she didn't care who she hurt, even if it was Mom."

"You know that she hurt your mother?"

"Yes, I do. I know that she did it constantly. All Mom wanted was love and she fought for it so hard. What she didn't see was that I loved her but I was lonely. I wanted to know what was beyond Storybrooke. I wanted to know who I really was. She couldn't give that to me without losing me, so she held on tighter and tighter until I rebelled completely. I was ten."

Rhiannon smiled at the young man in front of her. He smiled back, realizing that she was lonely like he had been. He could understand her and why she was searching so hard for her daughter.

"Let me talk to them," he told her.

"You would do that for me?"

"I know what it is like to search for you those you love. I sought out Emma and brought her back. I made her see the truth, even when she didn't want to see it. I'll talk to them, maybe it will help," Henry told her.

"Thank you," Rhiannon stated.

"Don't thank me yet. They haven't agreed to anything. They can both be stubborn and they wonder where I get it," he explained, chuckling slightly, "But, you are going to have to tell them everything that you know, from the beginning."

"I don't …"

"Don't. I know that there is more to this story, but it is your story to tell. I don't know why you are hiding everything about from them, but they will need to know it if they are going to help you. Rhiannon, she is your daughter and she is missing. She deserves the truth to be told. It will help us find her. Trust me on that," he explained.

She smiled at his frankness. She liked the lad. He was just like Regina had been around that age. She could only hope that he would succeed in his endeavor in convincing his mothers to help her. She knew that she would need their help if she had any potential in succeeding.

"I suggest that you come with me to the guest room. You might want to get comfortable. The next few hours are going to be quick and painful for us. We are going through the portal before lunch time. I suggest getting some rest, because I am sure that you going with us," Henry said.

He left her standing on the stairwell, staring after him as he went on his way. She followed him to the bed chamber. She was amazed by it decorations, but she didn't have time to appreciate it all with him.

"Henry, a word please," Emma stated standing outside the room.

"Sure, Ma," he replied to her before telling Rhiannon, "Goodnight, Rhiannon. Sleep well."

Emma gave her a pleading look. She didn't know whether she should be afraid of the Sheriff or not. They were both suspicious of each other. Rhiannon needed their help and she knew that if Henry could help her, then she might have a chance of getting Regina to actually help. She wasn't sure that Emma wanted to help her, but she knew that if Regina helped her that Emma would be right there as well. It was a risky venture, but she knew that risk could mean peace finally for her war torn lands.

She nodded at Emma in a silent agreement to wait for their decision. She had no choice at the moment. Emma shut the door to the guest room. Rhiannon could hear them walking away down the hall to another room. They were talking about calling Henry's grandparents.

Rhiannon lay down on the bed. She conjured up an image of her daughter and sighed. She stared at the image floating over her hand and wondered if it was what her daughter would actually look like now. She was brought out of her reverie by a knock on the door.

Regina entered slowly. She saw the image of Rhiannon's daughter. Her heart broke for her childhood friend.

"I'll speak with Snow," Regina told her, before leaving her alone in the room again. heart broke for her childhood friend.

"I'll speak with Snow," Regina told her, before leaving her alone in the room again.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Regina made her way down the hallway to Henry's room. She knew that Emma and Henry were in there "calling" Snow and Charming. She had been allowed to keep the magic mirror for them to use. It was the concession that Snow had allowed with Regina's punishment. Her reasoning was that she couldn't punish Emma and Henry for Regina's mistakes. Plus it gave them all a way to communicate. She stopped outside the doorway and sighed.

She knew that Emma had been right, but she was still upset by the whole situation. She had let her anger get the best of her and she knew it. She hadn't wanted to rationalize at the time, but after seeing Rhiannon with the image of her daughter, she knew that she had to speak to Snow. She had to do something. She owed Rhiannon that much.

She could hear their soft, muffled voices through the door. She knocked gently, not wanting to interrupt their conversation with the Charmings. She waited for one of them to answer the door.

"Mom?" Henry questioned as he opened the door.

"Can l speak with Emma for a minute, alone?"

"Yeah, let me get her," he stated before walking back across his room to get his other mother.

She watched him lean over and say something into Emma's ear. She saw Emma turn around and look at his doorway at her. Henry smiled at Emma. Regina watched Emma's face soften at their son's smile. She knew why Emma was tense and she knew it was her fault, but she was happy that Henry could still make Emma feel better with just his smile. But, then again, Regina wasn't surprise because he did the same thing for her. Emma met her chocolate brown eyes and gave her a slight grin. Regina returned the smile, in hopes that Emma wouldn't still be angry with her. Henry again said something to Emma that only she could here.

Emma turned back to the mirror and said something to Snow. Regina watched as Snow looked passed them at a Regina, before nodding at Emma and smiling. Emma turned to Henry, again, smiled and stood up. She crossed the room back to his door with a practiced ease that made Regina's heart skip a beat. There was just something about the way Emma moved. It was also with a purpose but also a careless abandon that Regina found interesting and annoying at the same time. It wasn't regimental and poised like her royal bearing.

"Henry said that you wanted to speak with me," Emma stated, breaking Regina out of her reverie.

"Yes, I thought about what you said. I know that you are right. I am sorry that I got angry with you. I just don't like being helpless," Regina told her.

"I know that, Regina. It was just like you weren't even going to try. You promise us both that you weren't going to give up no matter the circumstances. You just gave up, Regina. That is why I got so mad. You were having a pity party for one. You're better than that," Emma stated.

"I know. You remind me of that every day. I am just scared about this whole situation."

"Why?" Emma asked confused.

"You know why, Miss Swan," Regina told her.

"Don't you start that shit with me, Regina. Talk to me. Tell me why Rhiannon has you so scared so suddenly. Tell me what's really going on in that beautifully royal but stubborn head of yours."

"I am not sure that I have enough time to tell you everything, but I have to help her. Somehow, some way, I have to help her find her daughter. I'll explain everything to you, later, but first, I need your help with something," Regina told her.

"Yeah, and what is that?"

"I need to talk to Snow."

"That shouldn't be a problem," Emma stated.

"Alone."

"Well, that however, may prove to be interesting."

"Will you ask her if I can have a private audience with her?"

"Would you rather ask her yourself?" Emma questioned.

"I think it would be better coming from you."

"Suit yourself, but I think she might be a little more receptive if you asked her. I could prep her, now. You could ask her from here if you want. I sure it wouldn't be a problem," Emma told her.

"I am not sure that she'll be as receptive as you believe," Regina told her.

"You won't know until you try."

"Fine, I'll wait here. You ask your mother if I can have a private audience with her. I need to speak with her alone. I doubt that your father will let me do that," Regina stated.

"I'll go ask. Go make yourself a cup of coffee. I'm sure it won't take long for them to make a decision. I'll come find you as soon as I know anything," Emma told her.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet."

"No, thank you for believing in me, again," Regina said as she walked away.

Instead of going downstairs to the kitchen and making herself a cup of coffee, she went back to Rhiannon's room. She knocked on the door and waited for Rhiannon to voice her approval to come in. Once she was verbally greeted, Regina opened the door slowly and walked into her own guest room. Rhiannon was sitting on the bed in just her chemise. Regina noted that her royal blue velvet dress was laid out in a sitting chair. The royal plaid was laid on top of it.

"What is it, Regina?"

"I need to ask you something."

"Does it pertain to retrieving my daughter?"

"It might."

"Then, please, dear, ask away," Rhiannon told her.

"Do you remember when you came to me after Leopold died?"

"Yes, I came for the funeral. How could I forget? That was the day you asked for my help in resurrecting your mother. It was the day that you made the pact with me. Yes, I remember it plainly. Why do you ask?"

"Do you still carry some of the Phoenix Oil?"

"Always. I never leave home without it. I can't afford not to, why?"

"We may have need of it, later. Do you promise to be ready? I need to know that you are going to help me. I need to know that you are going to be there when I need you."

"We have a blood oath, Regina. I will always be there for you as you will be for me. I don't know what you are planning, but I know that you are doing it for me. I will do what you ask, whatever it may be," Rhiannon told her.

"I have need of enough to resurrect one."

"For who?"

"Myself," Regina told her.

* * *

"My Queen, there is an outsider seeking an audience."

"Who is it, Huntsman?"

"She says she is Princess Rhiannon," he answered.

"Show her in, then and be quick about it."

Regina straightened her dress. It had been many years since she'd met Rhiannon with her mother, but she knew that she could help her deal with her problems. Rhiannon was a good distraction. She missed spending her summers with her since her marriage to Leopold, but now that he was dead, she could go visit her again.

"My Queen," Rhiannon said, as she entered Regina's room.

"Rhiannon, my old friend, it has been too long."

"That it has. I see you have fulfilled my prophecy to be queen. How are things?"

"Quiet at the moment and dull. I know that his daughter questions me but she has the mindset of a child. She doesn't think her actions through very well. I am worried that I might have to have her killed. She will upset the populace," Regina told her.

"Ah, that cannot be good for your rule. What can I do for you? Anything?"

"We aren't children, Rhiannon. I won't ask you to destroy her. I know that you are capable, but I have my own ways of dealing with her, if it comes to that. Why are you here?"

"We made an oath, in blood, my dear. I am here for you. I have come to support your rule."

"But, you have no absolute power here," Regina told her.

"True, your kingdom is not of my realm, but I still have enough power here to support you."

"I think that won't be necessary."

"What happened to you?" Rhiannon asked.

"What do you mean? I am the same person I was years ago, when we met. I may have grown up, but it was not a peaceful process. My mother scarred me in more ways than I'll ever admit."

"I can see that. Your aura is all wrong. And, your magics flow from anger. You know this is not the way magic should be used. Regina, what happened to you?"

"Daniel died. I married Leopold. I arranged for his death. I am queen. And, now, I fear that Snow, my own step-daughter is going to push for rule based on blood. I find myself at a crossroads that I would have died for years ago, but now, I can have whatever I want."

"That might be so, but you should be careful with that kind of power."

"Why? Nothing can hurt me. I am a great sorceress and the queen. No one will dare to challenge me," Regina told her.

"That may be true, now, but eventually there will be someone who will."

"I doubt that. Once I deal with Snow, there will be no one with enough clout to stand up against me. I can have all that I want now. I will find a way to bring Daniel back and I will have it all."

"Be careful with that, Regina. I will support you, but your own wants will bring about your own downfall. You know what having that much power will accomplish. Nothing good will come of this. I am telling you this as a friend."

"I will get my vengeance and I will get it."

"Regina, this is not a magical path to follow. It will only lead to destruction and heart ache. It will poison your heart. Once, your heart turns black, only love can heal it."

"Well, my heart was blackened years ago. As for love, that is what Daniel will give me, again. And, don't worry about my heart being poisoned; my mother already did that for me."

Rhiannon just stared at her. She peered inside Regina's already darkening heart and sighed. Rhiannon wasn't afraid for herself; she was afraid for Regina. The woman before her wasn't the same girl that she knew years ago. She could feel the loneliness that was clinging to her. Rhiannon didn't know when or how, but she knew that Regina would fall and she would fall hard. She could only hope that she was there for her when it happened.

"I'll be on my way, then. Good luck with your reign, Regina. You know how to find me when you need me," Rhiannon stated as she started to take her leave.

"Wait."

"Yes, my Queen?" she replied.

"I received your invitation. I shall come to your wedding to Pol. He sounds like a good man for you. I am sure that alliance of the clans will keep the hard fought peace of your realm. I am happy for you, my friend," Regina told her.

"Thank you, Regina. That means a lot to me. I shall await your arrival. Do come early, though. I would love to show you around a bit more this time. I am sure that you will find Tir Nan Og to your liking. I would love for you to come riding with me," Rhiannon said.

"Could we go visit the Phoenix Valley again? I feel so at peace there. Take me there and we have a deal, my old friend," Regina stated.

"If you would like, yes, we can go there. My wedding will be held near there. It would be an honor to take you through the valley again, Regina. I know that Taliesin will be glad to see you again. He keeps telling me that he wants to see you laugh again. It seems to be all he thinks about these days. He misses you terribly," Rhiannon explained.

"Tell him, I shall come for the wedding. If he thinks that he can make me laugh, then he can try then. I would love to hear the stories of Avalon, again."

"You know how he loves to tell them," Rhiannon added.

* * *

Rhiannon followed Regina out of the room and into the hallway. Rhiannon's sapphire eyes watched Regina's chocolate eyes trying to find something to hold on to, something that would let her know what Regina was thinking. She hid behind her eyes, not revealing anything. Her mother had taught her well in disguising his displeasure in public. Rhiannon could tell that Regina was breaking on the inside, even if she wasn't showing it on the outside.

Emma found them standing the hallway. She couldn't tell what was passing between them, but she knew that Regina was planning something. She hoped that it wasn't something they would all regret later. She waited until she knew that Regina felt her. When she turned to face her, her green eyes met brown.

"Snow agreed to talk you," Emma told her.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: It has come to my attention, that some of you think that I am writing Regina weak. I am not. It will all make sense. In the next few chapters, more of the past will be revealed and you will come to understand why people are acting the way they are. Besides, the Evil Queen will be back and better than ever. Trust me, there will be plenty of sparring to come. Please just bear with the story because it does have an obvious progression and it will all make sense very soon. I hope to have the next chapter up quickly, so I can ease all the Evil Regals hearts. She will be back and she will get what she needs, trust me. ~ JET**

**Chapter 9**

Bevin sat in their apartment staring at the wall, waiting on Bridget to say something. She had come back into their living room and just sat down in the recliner. She had a worried look on her face and she didn't say anything. Bevin didn't know how long she could take the silence.

"He agreed to meet with us," Bridget told her.

Bevin stared at her for tense moments, before the magnitude of what she said hit home. She looked up at Bridget with her monumental blue eyes and waited for more information. She was on the edge of her seat. She needed Bridget to tell her more.

"He said that he could meet us at the Russell House in an hour, if you would like. I told him that I would email him our answer. He seems really intrigued by your knowledge of Irish lore."

"My knowledge of Irish lore?"

"Yes, I didn't tell him the truth. I didn't think that he needed to know about the tattoos and stuff. I don't think that he needs to know anything that we don't have the answers for at the moment. I know that you got some stories that you could share with him. I know that there has to be something that you can tell him that will get him to disclose something or get us pointed in the right direction. I don't want anyone else knowing what is going on with you until we do."

"Why is that?"

"I don't want anyone to hurt you," Bridget told her.

"Hurt me? Why would anyone hurt me? What have I done?"

"You just woke up with tattoos on your body and your grandfather called to tell you that you were marked. We need to figure out what that means. I think that you can tell Seamus the stories that your grandfather told you without revealing too much to him. I want to see if he knows as much as you do or if he has some other stories that match what you know."

"Aren't we being over cautious about this?" Bevin asked.

"Haven't you seen the movies?"

"What movies? What are you talking about? I don't understand."

"You know in the movies the person that is changing gets tested, probed and prodded by scientists and such. We don't have time for you to be tested. We need to figure out what is going on with you before we seek more help."

"Fine, but I don't like lying about this."

"I'll email Seamus and tell him that we will meet him, but you must promise not to divulge too much. I don't want him to think that he can take you from me. I don't want him to think that you are some quest that he can solve, either," Bridget stated.

"I am not worried about Seamus, Bridget. I am worried about these," Bevin replied, thrusting her arms out at her. "I am afraid of what will happen if my grandfather's stories are true."

"What aren't you telling me?"

"I come from Kildaire."

"I know that."

"Kildaire is the home of the Cavanaughs."

"Yeah, I know you are one. What of it? What does that have to do with any of these?"

"Cavanaughs are said to be the descendants of the Banshees."

"Banshees?"

"Yes, banshees," Bevin stated.

"Like the bringers of death?"

"Not all the tales of the Banshees are true. Some of them are tall tales that haven't gotten told wrong throughout the ages. Banshees are singers. They wail for the dead, even if they don't where the dead fell. I heard my Grandmother call out for my uncle years ago."

"He died?"

"Aye, that he did. Thousands of miles away from home, he died. Then at the hour of his death, my Grandmother began to sing a lament. She didn't know who it was for some time, but she knew before the call came. She knew it was family. I dunno how she kin about it, but she did."

"And, you're afraid that is what the marks mean?"

"No, these aren't the marks of the Banshee," Bevin told her.

"Then, what the hell do that mean?"

"I haven't a bloody idea."

They stood outside the Russell House. They were both apprehensive about meeting him, but they knew that Dr. Taran Seamus was the only person that would be able to help try to find meaning in the stories of her youth. He was the only one that spoke Irish and Gaelic on the East Coast. He was eccentric but he was knowledgeable in what they needed.

They made their way in and upstairs to the main food court. Bridget found them a table and made Bevin sit down. She walked over the Chick-fil-a and grabbed some food for them both before sitting back down. She handed Bevin a sandwich and some fries. They ate in silence and waited for the good professor to join them.

He came in shortly after they finished their meal. They couldn't miss him. His wild and unkempt wavy sandy blond hair and emerald green eyes found them quickly. His frame was that of a jock or a fighter, but his dress was that of a researching professor. The off-white dress shirt, corduroy moss green button-up vest, understated clay colored wool tie, and brown tweed jacket with darker leather elbow pads were only further evidence of his position at the University. He smiled and joined them at their table.

"I have to admit, girls. I was surprised by your enthusiastic request. How may I help?"

"I'm from County Kildaire and am a Cavanaugh," Bevin told him.

"Ah, the land of the Banshee, tell me more," he stated, as he raked a hand through his hair.

"It is not the Banshees I have come to ask you about."

"Then, what?"

"I need to know if you can translate a tale my grandfather always told me at night."

"I will do my best to try. I am studied in the languages of the Celts. I speak Manx, Irish, Welsh and Scots-Gaelic. I will do my best to aid you."

"That is all I ask."

"Can I ask why you are asking me about this?"

"My grandfather is ill and I want to preserve the stories. I only know them in Irish and I can't quite translate them properly. It seems that some things truly do get lost in translation," she lied.

"I would love to help. I always like hearing the lore in its native tongue. Please go ahead."

Bridget nodded at her to tell him something. She knew that Bevin wanted to roll up her sleeves and show the man the tattoos in hopes that he could decipher their meanings. She was hesitant and she knew that he could feel it, but she hoped that whatever Bevin told him, he would know what it meant to her.

"Fine, but I warn you. I don't speak Irish verra well. I may have a thick lilt, professor, but my parents wanted me to learn English and use it more than my native tongue. Grandfather taught me little as he could and then more once my parents were gone. Forgive me if I say anything wrong for your learned ear," Bevin told him.

He could tell that she told him the truth. He heard distinct issues with her dialect. It wasn't from someone who was from Kildaire originally, but he couldn't place it. He shook his head in assent and gestured for her to tell him.

"_Beidh sí a bheith ar eolas ag gruaige cosúil le tine agus súile an dath an spéir, agus beidh sí a bheith ar a dtugtar an ceann geal. Beidh sí a bheith ar eolas ag na marcanna ar a corp. Scaoileadh ag an carachtar, nathanna cainte, beidh ndán di a nochtadh_."

"Sounded pretty good to me," he told her.

"Can you translate that for me?" she immediately questioned him.

"Yes, I can."

"And?" Bridget asked, finally joining in their conversation.

"It is a story it seems of a girl with bright red hair like fire. Her eyes would be the color of the sky and a deep blue. She shall be called the 'bright one' or her name will mean 'enlightened.' Again, that could be a translators' interpretation. But, it is last sentences that excite me."

Bridget and Bevin stared at each other. Bevin's eyes told her that he was correct in the translation so far, but she was worried. They both couldn't help but want to know why he was so excited about the end of the translation.

"Well?" Bridget pushed, silently taking Bevin's hand under the table.

"It is an old tale and not one told aloud in Ireland that often. It is about a man so great that he would bring peace and unite the clans once more. It is the story of a Welsh man though, which is why it intrigues me so much. You say your Grandfather told you this tale?"

"Yes, every night before I went to bed, why?"

"Do you know what the rest of the translation means?"

"That is why I am asking you," she told him.

"The last sentences tell that 'bright one' will be marked. How so I don't know. But, in the full tale that I have heard, she will only bear marks once the son of the wolf has reached the age of maturity. Once he has reached that age, the Banshees shall reveal the Sorcha to the world."

"The Sorcha?" Bridget asked.

"It means 'Bright One'," Bevin replied.

"So, what does this have to do with what your Grandfather told you?" he asked her.

"The son of the wolf, what is his significance to the story?"

"You don't know do you?"

"Don't know what?" Bridget asked, looking worriedly at the man before them.

"The Sorcha will marry the son of the wolf."

"Excuse me," Bridget stated a little more loudly than she wanted.

"It is the tale of the rebirth of Avalon. It is generally only known to families that have a bond to Avalon, according to legend. But, it was whispered among the Irish that Banshees were related to the Merlins of old. If that were true, then Arthur ruled more than the English and Welsh."

"I am not here to debate history, Dr. Seamus. I am here to learn more about his story. What properties does this Sorcha have?" Bevin asked.

"I have plenty of stuff for you to read about it if you would like. They are all in my personal library and I doubt that any of them will be found anywhere online. The stories that I have found concerning this tale are spread out over the British Isles and in different dialects but they all come to the same conclusion," he told them.

"And, what is that?"

"That Avalon will be reborn and peace will cover the land."

"Sounds too good to be true," Bridget stated.

"It reads more like the Irish apocalypse, however. It won't be an easy journey for anyone involved in the legend. In fact, the Welsh version has the newest Pendragon and the Sorcha leaving the World of Man for that of the Land of Eternal Youth and the Fae," he said.

"Tir Nan Og?" Bevin asked.

"Yes, Tir Nan Og, sort of the Celtic heaven."

"Bloody Hell," Bevin replied.

"Is there something else?"

"No," Bridget responded quickly.

"I would like to read your stories," Bevin said, looking up at him.

He smiled and nodded. Her eyes were icy blue and full of questions that he hoped he had answers for. He didn't want to disappoint her. There was something about her that he didn't quite understand or get, but he wanted to help her on her quest for knowledge.

"I can get them for you."

"Fine, we'll meet you in a reading room in the library, say in thirty minutes," Bridget said.

"Sounds good. If you want, see what you can find out online. I'll bring my stories and then you can tell me how they compare," he suggested.

"Perfect," Bridget replied Bevin did not.

He smiled again and stood. They watched him leave. He was walking quickly. Whatever it was about that Bevin told him spurred him into action. Bridget was certain that he would use her knowledge for his next research book. He looked way too eager to get the Irish version of the tale. Bridget wasn't sure how much good he was going to be, now. He had gone into full professor research mode and she was sure that he would hurt Bevin if he found out.

"Bloody Hell!" Bevin exclaimed.

"What is it?"

"The marks aren't the mark of the Banshee, Bridget. They are the marks of the Sorcha. I bear the marks of the Sorcha. He didn't tell you the last sentence though."

"What?"

"The last sentence that I spoke."

"I got that part. What the hell do you mean that you have the marks of the Sorcha? What did that last sentence mean? Tell me," Bridget demanded.

"The short version is that the Banshees will reveal the fate of Sorcha to the Sorcha."

"Meaning that you are going to be the new Queen of Avalon? There could be worse fates, you know? But, hell, we don't even know that what he is telling you is true, do we?"

Bevin turned and stared at her. She couldn't hide it anymore. She needed Bridget to see all the evidence. She pulled her sleeves back and showed her the tattoos.

"There are more?"

"Yes, but that isn't all," Bevin told her.

"What else?"

Bevin turned her head and looked out the huge plate glass windows. She sighed, but calmly reached up to her head and stroked her hands through it. When she heard Bridget's gasp, she knew that she'd seen the fiery red streak of hair.

"Bloody Hell!" Bridget exclaimed.

"My sentiments exactly."

"What the hell is going on?"

"I don't know, but I have a feeling that I am not going to like it," Bevin replied.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Trigger warnings-talks about suicide and self harm**

**Chapter 10**

Emma walked back into Henry's room with Regina. Henry stood up from his desk and came to them at the door. Emma looked up at their son and smiled.

"Mom, Grandma is waiting for you," he told her.

"Thank you."

"We're going to go downstairs and have some hot chocolate. Please join us when you're done. I am sure that you'll want to talk to us both then," Emma stated.

There was worry on Emma's face, but Regina couldn't let that stop her. She needed to do this before she lost her nerve. She needed to make things right and she needed to feel the forgiveness of the one person who wanted hers. She saw it as a win-win situation. Now, all she had to do is convince Snow of that as well.

"I am sure that I will. Thank you both for this. I am sure that this discussion will be quick."

Regina waited for them to leave before she closed his door. She crossed his room and sat behind the desk. She looked up into the mirror to see Snow sitting regally, waiting for her.

"Regina," Snow stated.

"Snow."

"I was surprised by your request to speak with me. I admit that we haven't talked in a great while. But, my only apprehension is that you asked to speak to me alone. Why is that?"

Regina looked into the mirror. She could see the apprehension in her hazel eyes. She studied Snow. Their eyes met and quickly they both knew that this wasn't a conversation that was going to be shared very well. Regina tried to hide her distress but she knew that Snow would find out everything soon enough.

"I need your help, your majesty," Regina answered.

Snow's head snapped up. She regarded the woman back in Storybrooke. She turned her head trying to get a read on Regina, but nothing about the situation was making sense to her. The fact that Regina had addressed her formally and with her title. She had just conceded so much with one phrase that Snow continued to question Regina's mindset.

"You are asking for my help?" Snow questioned.

"I am."

"With what?"

"Before I explain everything to you, I need to know that you will agree to it. This request is a multiple layered one and it is something that only you can do. It is a hard request for me to ask, but I know that I am asking for more than my own benefit. This first task that I ask of you will be hard for you, but I am sure that you will step up to the opportunity and accept."

"And, what would that be?"

"I need you to kill me."

"You want me to what?!"

"I didn't stutter, Snow. I need you to kill me. Don't worry. I will explain everything."

"I am not happy that you are with my daughter, but I think your death is a little extreme. I don't hate you, Regina. I never did. I misunderstood everything between you both. Can you honestly tell me that you want me to kill you while you love my daughter? Why would you ask this of me? What good will come of your death?" Snow asked her.

"As I said before, this is a task that only you can do for me. I wouldn't be asking you to do it if I could get someone else to do it. I need it to be you. I can explain everything to you, once you agree. You have to agree first and you have to promise not to tell Emma about this. I need to know that I can trust you in this. This isn't just for my life, Snow, or I wouldn't be asking."

"You want me to kill you?"

"I know that you have thought about it. It should be so easy for you. I destroyed your happiness and took your daughter from you for twenty-eight years. I would think that this would be an easy choice for you. You would get to end me," Regina explained.

"I banished you to Storybrooke. I had you bound so that you can't use magic and now, you offer me your life. What aren't you telling me?"

"Will you help me?"

"Tell me why?"

"Come here and I will tell you everything."

"You want me to come to Storybrooke? Now? So I can try to talk you out of this rationally?"

"If you want to use that as your reasoning, then sure, but I need an answer tonight."

"Would this have anything to do with Rhiannon?" Snow asked her.

Regina eyed her for a moment. She knew that Emma was going to talk to Snow about Rhiannon attending Henry's birthday party, but she realized with Snow's question that Emma had told her more about the situation than Snow would let on. Regina knew that she could try to down play everything but she also knew that she didn't have the time to do either. If she was going to make this work, it would have to happen tonight before they left for the Enchanted Forest. She needed to do it and have her magic back before they jumped through the portal for Henry's part.

"It has everything to do with Rhiannon. Will you come? Will you do this for me?"

Snow sat silently, staring at her. She didn't know what to say or what to do. How do you answer a question like that? How do you help someone kills themselves? How do you help your former enemy not only destroy themselves but also the happiness of her own daughter?

"You have my interest in this matter and since it not only concerns your life but the lives of both Henry and Emma, I will come to discuss with you. I am sure that David will not like my reasoning for coming so late there, but I see that you are set in your resolution. I am however disturbed that you did come to this decision on the eve of your son's birthday. Regina, I don't know if this is game or not. I can tell you are serious and it scares me, frankly. I will come, but know that I am not coming alone."

"I wouldn't expect you to, Dear. I'll let Ruby know to expect the twins. I am sure that she will enjoy some time with them before tomorrow festivities. I know that they care for their Godmother greatly," Regina stated.

"Let Emma know we are coming. But, for the love of her, Regina do not tell her why. I will not be responsible for her unhappiness. I will not be responsible for her anger."

"You won't. I will. I'll be waiting for you, Snow."

Regina was sitting at the kitchen table nursing a cup of coffee and watching Henry and Emma. She felt older than she had in ages. She felt like she had been wronged and she couldn't help but feel that she should be stronger. She didn't resent her life with Emma. She resented the fact that she herself had agreed to it.

"Henry, can you go to bed? We'll talk in the morning. I am sure that we will have plenty to tell you about the festivities," Regina asked him.

He looked at her over his hot chocolate and eyed her. He then turned his gaze to Emma, who nodded in agreement. He didn't know what was going on with his mothers, but he didn't like it. He knew that they were up to something and once again, they didn't believe him adult enough to handle it. He stood, reluctantly, took his mug to the sink and stalked out of the kitchen.

"Wanna tell me what that was about?" Emma asked once he was gone.

"We need to talk."

"I got that hours ago."

"Your parents are coming tonight."

"Wait, what?"

"Snow and David are coming here. They will be leaving the twins with Ruby. I've already called her. She's ready for them. I would send Henry there, but I know that he won't go."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Emma asked.

"I have asked your mother for help with something and she has agreed. They should be here shortly. I told her that I would discuss the matter with her alone and that I needed her here to do it. I need to know that you will support me in this," Regina stated.

"How can I support you when I don't know what you are doing?"

"Fair enough, Emma, fair enough. I know that things have been hard on us these past few years. I haven't been the same since my banishment. I also know that it isn't fair that you have to bind me. I am going to discuss my punishments with your mother."

"You are going to try to get her to let you be unbound?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes, that is the gest of the discussion that I will be having with her. I need to know that you support me in that. We are going to discuss it either way, but I would like to know that you support my decision," Regina stated.

"I do. I love you, Regina. Even though no one else can see passed your past, I never knew the Evil Queen. I have only ever known Regina. And, to be honest, you have gotten rather boring."

"Thanks, Dear."

"No, I mean that you have lost some of your fire. When we fight now, you back down. I don't want you kowtowing to me. I like it when you fight back. It lets me know that you still have the passion that I fell in love with. I think even Henry can see it."

"Did he say something?"

"He told me that you didn't seem right. But, he thinks it is because of Rhiannon and I agreed with him. I don't know what your promise is to her, and it is your business, but you have been more demure since her arrival that I want to throw something."

"Well, thank you for that information. You should have said something earlier. I didn't expect it to get this bad. I guess I just got depressed and there wasn't anything that I could do to release some steam," Regina stated.

"Like what?"

"Throw some fireballs at your ass, for one," Regina quipped.

"Now, there is my Queen."

"But, seriously, I need to speak with Snow and Rhiannon alone. I need to know that you and Henry will be alright with David. I know that it is late and all, but I need to do this now."

"Whatever you need. I'll get Henry. We can go hang with the girls and Ruby."

"Thank you, but I'm sure that we won't be gone long. You know how Henry likes to worry about you. He knows that something is up and he'll want to be here for it."

"I know. Just keep him away long enough for us to talk. I'll text you when it's good to come back," Regina told her. She sighed, took Emma's hand, and then looked into her green eyes with as much passion as she could muster, "I love you."

"I love you, too. It'll be okay. You'll see."

"How do you know?"

"It's a Charming thing."

"Hope beyond reason, I know."

"Hey, it'll be okay. I broke the curse. True love won out. Everything is going to be fine."

"I wish I had your optimism. I know that David isn't going to like Snow being alone with me and Rhiannon. He doesn't know her and well with my reputation, I don't blame him. But, this is a royal matter and well, all three of us are queens in our own rite."

"And, David is just a Prince?"

"Something like that, Dear," Regina answered.

"Don't worry about Dad, I'll talk to him. But, remember, he was the first one that didn't care about us. True love and all, I am sure that he'll let you talk to Snow without too much fuss. Besides he'll have Henry and the girls to contend with. It'll be fine."

"I hope that you are right."

Emma pulled her into a hug and willed her to feel the optimism flowing through her. Regina took every bit of warmth she could from Emma. She knew that this night would be hard on the all and she didn't want to see the suffering on Emma's face. It was late; she knew that, but she also knew that Emma really knew her plans that she would stop her.

"Mind if we come in," Snow said, with Henry and the lot in tow.

"No, please."

"Don't want to interrupt a private moment," David told them, smiling at Emma.

"Not to worry, Dad. Thanks for coming so quickly. I hope the portal jump wasn't too bad."

"Not at all," he replied.

"Regina, you needed to speak with me," Snow said, suddenly all business.

"Yes, I do. We can retire to my study. I just need to get Rhiannon and then we can discuss the matter at hand," Regina answered, suddenly turning back into the mayor.

Henry noticed the change in his mother's demeanor, but he didn't say anything. He gave Emma a questioning look, but she was studying her cell phone at the moment. He could tell that something was going on, but he would wait, hoping they would tell him what it was soon enough.

"Hey, Kid, how about you, me, your Gramps and aunts go bug Ruby for some ice cream?"

He studied Emma harder. He could see the pleading look in her eyes. He had seen it so many times before when she didn't want to talk about something out right. He gave her a stern look that reminded her so much of Regina, but smiled in the end and nodded.

"Good, then, let's go. Remember to let me know, so I can plan appropriately. And, don't make it a long night. We have things to do in the morning," Emma reminded them as she shooed her father, son, and two twin sisters out the door.

"Well, then, we can talk," Regina stated.

"I don't understand what's going on here, Regina, but I will tell you that I don't like it."

"I understand that Snow. I'll be brief again. I need you to kill me and unfortunately for the laws of magic in the Enchanted Forest, it wouldn't be the same. Magic in this world is different, but in a good way for me. Rhiannon will explain more of the situation, but you really are the only one who can help me accomplish this and it actually work."

"Am I late for the party?" Rhiannon asked joining them.

"No, you aren't."

"You must be Rhiannon," Snow stated as she took in the tall raven-haired woman.

"That I am. I am Queen Rhiannon of Tir Nan Og. I am pleased to make your acquaintance finally after all these years. It is an honor, your majesty," Rhiannon told her, bowing.

"Tir Nan Og?"

"Yes, majesty," she replied.

"You're from the land of the Faeries?"

"Yes, majesty, I am."

"Okay, Regina, what the hell is going on? You asked for a personal royal audience. I am here. Now start explaining or I'll call Emma back and let you tell her what you told me."

"Let's do this in my study. I have a feeling we are going to need some cider. This is going to be a hard discussion for us all and we will all have a part in my demise. This way if you please."

Regina didn't wait for them to acknowledge them. She slid open her study doors and walked inside. She immediately poured three tumblers of cider. She handed them out to each of them as they made their way into the room. She walked back over to the doors and closed them, before sitting behind her desk with her own tumbler. She took a long drink and then stared directly into Snow's icy blue eyes.

"As I said before, Snow, I need you to kill me."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Trigger warnings- Self harm and suicide**

**Also for those of you who want a big, bad Regina, she's coming in all her magical glory. *wink, wink* Bear with me, I promise, she'll be back and soon. She is taking the necessary steps to unleash her magical potential.**

**Chapter 11**

Snow sat there quietly, holding her cider. She watched Regina with a perplexed look. She wanted to take a drink, but she was afraid of what the hard cider would do to her thinking. At the moment, she thought that Regina had been drinking too much and that is why she was asking her to do it.

Rhiannon watched them, trying to gauge their history, to understand what wasn't being said between them. She could the palpable uneasiness between them. She knew that Snow was Regina's step-daughter and after Leopold's death their relationship became very, very strained, but she didn't know the specifics. She never had the chance to ask or find out. She could tell that theirs was bad blood between them and she figured that it had something to do with Leopold, but she just didn't know. She sipped her cider and watched them, waiting for a chance to join the conversation.

"Snow, I understand that this is going to be difficult for you. I expected your resistance. In fact, I planned on it. I knew that this would be a hard request for you to do. I know that you love Emma and you think that this will hurt her, but I assure you that this will have no bearing on Miss Swan."

Snow snapped her head up at the use of "Miss Swan." She knew that Regina only used that when she knew that Emma when fight her on whatever was going on. It was Regina's way of emotionally distancing herself from the situation. She cocked her head and questioned her with her eyes. She could see something deep inside Regina's dark eyes, but she couldn't make it out completely.

"Why me?"

"Because you are the only one that I would ask for forgiveness from," Regina stated.

"Forgiveness?" Snow questioned, still eyeballing Regina.

"Yes, let me explain it to you further, if I may."

"Please do," Snow said a little more forcefully than she meant.

"Do you remember when we were in Neverland and Pan had us bound to the Tree of Regret?"

"Yeah, you broke free because you said your regretted nothing," Snow answered.

"I wasn't lying at the time, but now, I would be."

Snow gasped. She knew that being with Emma and Henry has changed Regina for the better emotionally, but she wasn't prepared for her empathy. She could remember a time that all she wanted from Regina was empathy and she never got it. Seeing it now and watching the emotions flow through Regina unnerved her and she couldn't fathom why. She wondered if it was the fact that they had been at odds for so long, that they couldn't be friends.

"I don't know that I can help you, Regina."

"I know that that it seems like a daunting task, but it is necessary."

"I don't understand how destroying your life is necessary. Have you not thought about what this will do to Emma? To Henry? How can ending your life help them?" Snow questioned.

"I think that is where I come in," Rhiannon stated.

"How is that?"

Rhiannon held up a vile she'd been carrying, "With this."

"What is that?" Snow asked staring at the vile.

"It is called Phoenix Oil," Regina replied.

"Phoenix Oil?"

"Yes, it is a type of resurrection potion. It is from valley in Tir Nan Og. Anyone can use it, but there is a cost," Regina explained.

"A cost, of course. All magic comes at a price. You know that more than anyone, Regina. Can you tell me what this cost is? What is the cost for this magic?"

"I have to have a clear soul."

"A clear soul?"

"Yes, I have come to realize that I don't regret the events that lead us to Storybrooke. I don't regret any of that because it gave me Henry. And, in the end, it gave me Emma as well."

"Then what do you regret?"

"The fact that I couldn't be the person that you needed me when I became your step-mother, I regret that. I never could be the person that you wanted and that is the reason that we became enemies. We could never have the relationship that we both deserved. We were both searching for someone to love us as ourselves. We destroyed each other's happiness while we were searching for our own. I regret that we couldn't have been better to each other in the beginning."

Snow was taken aback. She wasn't prepared for such honesty to come from Regina. She didn't know how to respond to her either.

"I know that it is hard for you to think about doing this, but I need you to realize that this will give us both a blank slate. In my destruction, you can find peace. With my destruction, I will know the purity of love. Snow, I know that we may never have the relationship that you wanted as a girl, but I would like to think that we could be friends."

Rhiannon watched them as she saw the Regina of old fighting to make her way back out into the world. She didn't know exactly what cause their feud, but she knew they hurt each other as they grew. She wondered if Snow could forgive Regina.

"You killed my father," Snow said quietly.

"You killed my love," Regina replied.

"Does one justify the other?"

"To be fair at the time, I didn't care. I was so angry with you. You took away the one thing that made me happy all because you couldn't tell a lie. But, there was more going on with your father than you realized, I would spare you that pain."

"No, tell me."

"Snow, don't ask this."

"Tell me. I believe that I have a right to know. He was my father and you murdered him."

"He may have been your father and my husband, but he was no king to me. I may have arranged for his death, but I didn't personally commit the act. And, the man that did was punished after a fashion. My heart was hardened by then from the loss of Daniel and because of the man that Leopold was behind closed doors. You father was not the pious and righteous man you thought him to be, Snow. Leave it at that," Regina explained.

"And, your mother really didn't know how to love," Snow stated.

"I know. I should have known sooner and maybe I wouldn't have tried so hard to please her. I would have tried to get her heart back. But, in the seconds that I had with her, I realized what a mother's love meant, what it felt like, what it was meant to be."

"I took her from you."

"You were saving us all. I couldn't see it at the time. She was my mother and that bane of my existence. I couldn't see past her death. And, trust me when I say, the day that you came to me, to beg me to take your heart, to end your suffering and pain, I wanted to crush it in my hands."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because that pain you felt, that suffering, that blackness that crept in and took root inside your pure as snow heart, I knew what it meant. I knew that you would be seeking redemption, some sort of penance to redeem your worth in your own eyes. I knew that I could never give it to you. I knew that you would have to learn to live with your actions and their consequences, because that pain is such a great motivator."

"So you want me to destroy you to help us both?"

"Yes, I know that it sounds complicated, but it is really simple. In your act of killing me, you forgive me all that I have ever done for you. And as I die, I forgive you for every wrong, I perceieved or not, that I felt from you. We would both get to start over."

"Would we forget?"

"No, nothing will alter our memories."

"There is another catch, isn't there?"

"Yes, there is," Regina answered.

"And, that is?"

"That she will be permanently unbound," Rhiannon stated.

"But…"

"Listen, while I am dying, my body, my magics will try to preserve my body. They will unleash themselves in a manner I have only heard of, but in doing so, they will create a shield around me. This shield will become a magical permanent armor."

"But, you promised Henry no more magic?"

"I did. But, he'll understand that I am not doing it for gain. I don't want the kingdom anymore, Snow. I gave it to you willingly. I just want a life in which I could say that I was proud of, again. I am proud to be Henry's mother. I am proud that Emma loves me despite who I am. But, I feel like I am wasting away here. I feel like I did before the curse was lifted. Nothing has changed. Nothing changes except Henry. Everything is boring and there is no joy for me."

"You are being punished for the crimes that you have committed. Why should you be allowed to have joy? What makes you think that you deserve it?" Snow snapped.

"Because I believe that I am Emma's happy ending. How can she be happy when I am not? How can she have her happy ending when she has to continually bind me and suppress my magic with her own? I can't begin to imagine how that makes her feel. But, the thing that she make you understand my desire for this more than anything is: how can she be part of family that fought for love countless times, but is unwilling to recognize her own?"

Snow stood up. The fury inside her radiated off her body. Regina knew that she hit a nerve and she knew that it was the right nerve to hit. She wasn't trying to play her, but she knew it was the only way for Snow to understand that giving Regina a second chance (for the thousandth time) at a happy ending would give Emma hers as well. Snow turned to face her.

"Why here? Why now? What am I missing?"

"I think I should explain something to you, Majesty," Rhiannon answered.

"Please do, because I don't understand any of this."

"Before you and Regina met that fateful day in the field, a young Regina, not much older than you were, met me in her father's castle. I was still a princess then, as she was. We realized too quickly that our parents were using each other for power and pleasure. Three nights into my stay, her mother's imp made a promise with my father, one that haunted me years later, one that I would soon come to realize that I had no control over or way to stop."

"He cursed you?" Snow asked.

"In a manner of speaking, yes, he did. He foretold my future. He told my father that I would unite the clans of my people under a common banner and restore the glory of a mythical but historical king. The heir to my throne however would have to earn it. So my father proceeded to test every man that sought me out as a suitor. Most were found to be unworthy. When Pol was declared good enough, we were engaged and married shortly after your father's funeral."

"That is where you went?"

"Yes, I went to her wedding. She was the only friend that I had at the time. She gave me her support with your father's death, so I gave her mine at the wedding."

"Regina came to Tir Nan Og. As a gift of friendship, I gave her some of my most loyal soldiers to help her solidify her reign as the sovereign. I didn't realize that the imp had already corrupted her and that my men would be used in a most abusive way to your people. Had I had the gift of foresight like the imp, I would have regaled her with one of my cousins' horses."

"What did you get?"

"More than I bargained for, I assure you. The imp followed her to me. Told me that without a continued friendship that I would lose everything that I held dear in my life. The night before the wedding, Regina and I went riding in the valley of the Phoenix. It used to be the most magnificent valley in all of my family's holdings. Now, it is almost ash and soot."

"What happened?"

"I should have listened better to the imp."

"Rumple? Anything he ever said then was for his own gain? What good would it have done you? What possibility did he tell you that would cause you to say such things?" Snow asked.

"He knew the stories of the Pendragon."

"As in Arthur?"

"He replacement."

"But, he had no children. And, Lancelot, told me that Mordred destroyed Camelot, so what does this have to do with the Pendragons. I don't understand."

"In my land the Pendragons are made. They are the ruling family of the Lake and Avalon. No one has earned the right in years to ascend to the Pendragon. All who try the trials fail. But, the imp told me that my child would earn the right to the crown of Avalon as long as I kept Regina close. By becoming allies, I would ensure my line saved Tir Nan Og from ultimate destruction."

"How?"

"One night in the middle of summer, when we were still children and the prospects of being happy were still endless to us, we made a pact," Rhiannon told her.

"We were young and in love. We were stupid and foolish. We decided that we were to always be friends and we would protect each other no matter the cost or sacrifice. We sealed this pact in blood in the thirteen month, on the thirteenth day, under the year's thirteenth moon," Regina said, before she took another drink of cider

"What does that have to do with anything now?"

"Thirteen years later, I wed Pol."

"Thirteen years later, I cast the curse."

"Thirteen months after my wedding, I had a child."

"Thirteen years into the curse, I sought a companionship."

"But, Henry was ten when he found Emma," Snow stated.

"I wasn't talking about Henry. I had no magic. I had no friends. I couldn't get to Rhiannon and Rhiannon couldn't find me because of the curse."

"Thirteen days, I had my child."

"What happened?"

"She was taken from me and a son put in her place thirteen years later."

"Who would do that?"

"A good friend of my husband, he blamed me for the disappearance and then placed his own son in my household. He passed him off as my husbands, but as he grew the resemblance to his natural father was too uncanny not to notice and he was forced to leave."

"But, what of your daughter?"

"That is why I have come to Regina. I believe that if we try together we can find her. That is why we are asking you to help us now."

"How can I help with that?" Snow asked.

"Lift my banishment and drown me here where the magic isn't so strong."

"Drown you?"

"It will be more like a purification, if you will," Rhiannon added, trying to lighten the mood.

"So, I help you drown, lift the banishment, and help you regain your powers and I get…"

"The end to a feud that started before we were both born. The happy ending that you so desperately want for your entire family. And, finally the forgiveness you want from me."

"But, you will be free."

"Free to leave Storybrooke, free to travel realms and lands, but never free from a family that I love. Never will I be free of burdens that I created, but I will have the opportunity to atone for them in ways I never could before. I could be the friend that you deserved."

"Emma will not like this."

"She cannot know."

"How will she not? She'll know that something has happened when she sees you use magic. She'll know that I helped you in this endeavor," Snow replied.

"But, she doesn't have to know that you killed me to do it."

"I am still a little lost on that. Why do I have to kill you? And, why by water?"

"I need to force my magic out. Rhiannon will bring me back. Then, I will help her find her daughter. We were strong together once and we can be strong together again."

"You don't want the throne?" Snow asked, still bewildered.

"The only thing that I want from you when this is over, Snow, would be your blessing."

Snow's eyes got large and she realized that she had been wrong. She had been so wrong about Regina for so long. She knew that she loved Henry. She needed Henry in her life and she had raised him as best she could considering who her role models were in that department. But, this Regina, redemption craving and passionate Regina was more like the teenager that saved her in a grassy field as her horse charged away with her into oblivion.

"So, you won't actually die?"

"Not really," Rhiannon said.

"But, we will try to be better to each other for Emma's sake."

"Yes, we will."

"And, you don't want the throne?"

"No, I want to stay here with Henry and Emma."

"Yeah, about that…I was going to announce something tomorrow…"

"Like what?"

"You know what, that's not important right now. We are working on a new family dynamic and trying to rescue a lost princess. So, let's think about that."

"Thank you," Regina told her, realizing that she had agreed.

"I'm not doing this for you, Regina. I am doing it for Emma. She loves you and you might be her happy ending. I wouldn't dream of denying her that. How could I?" Snow asked, as she downed her cider, eyeing Regina knowing that her words cut deep.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Bevin stood, balancing back and forth from one foot to the other. She was biting her nails and waiting for Bridget to come back with one of the librarians so they could get into the reading room. She was getting impatient the longer she had to wait to figure out what was going on with her. She felt like she was so close, but yet, still so far away.

Bridget came back with a student librarian. They followed him to a bank of reading rooms. He eyed them carefully as he unlocked the door and escorted them into the room. It was one of the better rooms that had a computer and a phone.

"This is a professor's room. We were surprised that Dr. Seamus called twenty minutes ago and asked for one. He hasn't been down here this year. Let him know that he can call the desk and will bring down any of the books he requests. If y'all need anything, just call the desk."

They looked at each other as the librarian left them in the room. It was like any other reading room in the library. It had the same wood laminated conference style table and some metal and cloth chairs. The phone and the computer were the only differences they could see, until Dr. Seamus came in.

He picked out a chair and stood behind it. He dumped the books that he had on the table, scattering them in no particular order. He grabbed the phone and pulled it over near his seat, but pushed it far enough away that he could grab when needed. He took off his suit jacket and hung it on the back of the chair. He sat down and raised his hand in a manner that told them to sit down.

Bridget took the chair near the computer and brought up two browsers. One was the USC Library System and the other was Google. She looked at them and waited.

"I am glad that you came to me about this tale. It is one that I have been researching for some time. I have never had a firsthand telling of it, though. So, this is a real treat for me."

"I am just glad that you can help me understand and translate the tales better," Bevin told me.

"Did he tell you the entire legend?" he asked her.

"He gave me the basics. I wasn't very good at listening I'm afraid. He has been calling me though and telling me over the phone. I just wanted to look into it. It didn't follow the normal cannon of the Arthurian tales or Irish lore. It just seemed odd to me that he would just start telling it to me and in Irish, too."

"He is an older man, I am sure. He might be trying to make sure that the story continues. I have heard of this in many clan style families. He is trying to pass down family stories as he learned them before he dies. Has any part of the story changed from when you were a child?"

"It just seems to be getting more specific, I think," Bevin told him.

Bridget watched them. She gave Bevin a look to remind her not to tell him too much. He immediately grabbed a small journal and started writing. He grabbed another journal and pushed it to Bevin. She took it and began to flip through it.

"You might find some interesting interpretations of the tale in there. Can you read it and tell me what you think about them? I know that you want to translate the tale into English and that is what I want to do, as well. I'll tell you what I've learned so far and you can just help me fill in any blanks that I haven't found. I think that I can help you in the same manner."

"That sounds like a good idea. I don't remember exactly where to begin. Where would you like to begin?" Bevin asked him.

"The story that I have learned started soon after Arthur dies at the hand of his own son. It seems that his son was the also from the house of the Wolf. Does that make sense?"

"Perfectly, but I don't know the back story that leads up to the legend as I have been told. Can you keep telling me your version and I'll add in where I can? I think if I know the backstory it will help me process what I've been told. That way I can make sense enough of it to tell it to you. I would rather not tell it all in Irish," Bevin told him.

"Oh, yes, that would be fine."

Bevin shot Bridget a look and Bridget gave her one back of confusion. Bevin lifted her arm and pulled down her sleeve slightly and nodded at the computer. Bridget nodded, then, understanding silently that she wanted her to search for the tattoos and their possible meanings. She watched as Bridget diligently searched. Bridget kept giving Dr. Seamus looks while she was looking, waiting to see if he was going to look over at her. She had another window open just in case he did, so she could hide the "covert" research they were doing.

"So, like I was saying most of the tales start as soon as Arthur dies on the battlefield at the hands of his son, Mordred. It seems that Mordred tried to take Excalibur and he couldn't lift it. It seems that the Fae had placed a blessing upon the sword, so only the rightful heir could wield the sword. It was then out of the mists that Morgan La Fey, long believed to be Arthur's mother and Mordred's mother, came and reclaimed the sword. She took it back to Avalon for safe keeping."

"But, if she was Mordred's mother and Arthur's sister, why couldn't he be the heir?"

"It had to do with the rites of the Pendragon. It seems that Mordred never got the backing of the people and he tried to usurp his own father. Mordred was chased to the sea and driven from the lands of his father for his crimes. Shortly after, the Saxons came and conquered the lands, followed by the Vikings and other barbarian hordes from mainland Europe. Those who sought to preserve their way of life and that of Avalon fled to Ireland and married into the clans there."

"Sounds logical enough and that most of that has been backed by historical data, I am sure."

"For the most part, yes, it has, but still there are no graves. There are no written accounts of any of this, so it is all thru word of mouth tales and stories that histories have been derived. So much has been lost through mispronunciations and retellings that we may never know the real truth of the Arthurian legends. But, that is why I like doing my research."

"Because you are trying to blend the different tales into one, giving a more dynamic and encompassing truth to the legend," Bridget offered.

"Exactly. Once compiled it may the largest volume of Arthurian tales known to man. Each time I get a new tale, I try to add the bits that differ from my compiled data in order to form a more perfect picture of the king the early Celts called Arthur Pendragon, son of Uther and Igraine."

"Igraine out lived him as well, did she not?"

"Yes, she did. He was survived by his mother, sister, wife and son. It was rumored that Mordred never left the British Isles alive. Morgan tried to buy his passage to the Isle of Avalon, but the Lady wouldn't allow his passage. She actually forbade him from coming."

"But, what does that have to do with my tale?" Bevin asked.

"That is about where yours comes in. You see that according to the legends, the Lady of the Lake forbade Morgan from stepping foot on the Isle as well. She was banished for not protecting the Druid way of life and protecting their religion. She was also punished for trying to return her son to the Isle. Mordred was never going to take the throne though. He was from the wrong house in the end and hadn't earned the markings of the Pendragon."

"The marks of the Pendragon?"

"Yes, the Pendragon was a title. It was given to the High Chieftain of all the Clans. There were five main clans for the people. The people of the boar, the people of the raven, the people of the bear, the people of the horse, and the people of the wolf were the clans of the people. The clan of the dragon was the clan of the leaders and the Druids. You weren't born into it; you were brought into through trials and triumphs. Mordred tried to use blood to join and failed."

"Because both his mother and his father were Pendragons?"

"Morgan wasn't a Pendragon. Arthur was in both ways. He was the son of Uther Pendragon and he earned the moniker, too. He was a prince of the people, for the people and by the people. Mordred was a bastard of incestuous misguidedness. He was never meant to rule. He never earned the markings of clan either. He died alone and with a people to call his own. Even the army that he raised to take against Arthur wasn't native to the British Isle."

"He was the ultimate black sheep. But, that still doesn't answer the question. Why does the Arthurian lead to my Granddadda's tales? What does the fact that Mordred and Morgan being banished from Avalon have to do with any of it?"

"Plenty, according to legend, Morgan was half Fae. She didn't age like man would. When the Lady of the Lake wouldn't grant her access, she gave her the only key to unlocking Avalon."

"A new Pendragon?"

"Yes, but foreseeing the troubles brewing in Europe that were soon to cross the sea, she told Morgan that the new Pendragon wouldn't be of the people. He would be a fosterling of royal blood from a new Clan of the Wolf. His lineage would bridge the gaps and unite the clans under two children: The Sorcha and the Pendragon."

"So, the Sorcha who is to be his wife shall be from the one of the five major clans of legend?"

"Yes, Bevin, she will. See this is where the tales diverge greatly. On the main Isle of Britain, they follow Arthur's side and seek to find the newest Pendragon. This is especially true for the Welsh, especially those that reside in Cornwall. But, the Irish took Morgan's side. The reasoning behind this is because she married a Merlin."

"But, I thought that Merlin was Arthur's wizard?" Bridget asked.

"He wasn't a wizard. He was a teacher and friend. He was a high druid and a Pendragon himself. He earned his marks through religion and teachings. He would have been like the Pope. He was the highest priest for the people. Before he died, he would test the clans' high priests and name his successor and the new Merlin."

"Aye, I know these tales. Morgan married a young Merlin names Taliesin. He was more than likely the successor to Arthur's Merlin. But other than that, the stories skip over to Brian and the other heroes of old. What good does that do us now?"

"Because the child of Morgan and Merlin was named Banshee. She had many daughters, who married many chieftains' sons. But, most of the children of Banshee settled in the East of Ireland. And the clans that arose from her lines, have long forgotten their magical blood, and fear the horror stories associated with the Fae children of her. The Wailers weren't the harbingers of death. They just marked someone's passing. It became a horrific call as time passed and people misinterpreted the stories. A Banshee in the family was once considered a blessing."

"Why is that?" Bridget asked.

"Because she was seen as a seer," Bevin replied.

"Yes, she was a special woman of the clan. She could see where the clan was heading and most of the time would steer the chieftain in the right direction. But, as their powers grew and the fear grew with them, most Banshee's were ostracized from their clans, homes, and communities. They would live on the edge of civilization and only those considered weak of heart or those so desperate they needed magical help would seek her out. Eventually over time, Banshees left their mark on certain families."

"Who hid the identity of any that were marked in the family?" Bevin questioned.

"Yes, I believe that they would. They would be known by stories and histories as a Banshee family, but if they had a Banshee living, I am sure that no one would know about it. You should know that calling someone a Banshee in certain parts of Ireland is equivalent to cursing someone out here. It isn't a pleasant thing to call a woman there," Seamus told them.

"So, the Sorcha is a banshee?" Bridget asked, no longer paying attention to her research on the computer screen, as she looked over the monitor at them.

"No, she isn't. She is associated with the family of the Banshee, but she herself is not one. This is where the tales get…well…fuzzy."

"Fuzzy?"

"Very, very, vague to say the least."

"The Sorcha isn't a banshee, but she is a descendent of the Pendragon. She is related to Morgan and Taliesin, then. But, how?" Bevin asked.

"That is what I was hoping you could tell me," he told her.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Trigger warning for self harm. If this bothers you, please skip down to the break and keep reading. It isn't graphic, but very telling in nature. Sorry if this upsets any readers. Rated M for a reason. **

**Also, the next few chapters may be a little darker than I am used to writing and may take some time to get out. The story is flowing in the direction that I want to go. But, rest assured, I will update as soon as I can. As always, reviews are appreciated and they let me know that you care. Thanks and I hope you enjoy.**

**Chapter 13**

Regina escorted them upstairs and into her room. She left them sitting on the bed as she went into the bathroom to start filling the bath. Snow watched Rhiannon. She couldn't believe the calm that they both had. She was going out of her mind. She wanted one of them to come to reason and stop this craziness. She needed someone to stop them.

"She is really going to do this?"

"Yes, she is."

"You're going to help her?"

"I am."

"Why?"

"Because she asked."

"And, for no other reason?"

"Snow, I understand that this hard for you. You don't seem to see things in but in black and white. You are still learning about the shades of gray that surround everything that we do. Regina learned this the hard way. I am afraid that the only way you will understand her pain is to see it, to feel it, to experience it," Rhiannon told her.

"How can I do that?"

"I can help."

"You can help?"

"I maybe just another queen from another realm to you, but I do possess magic."

"Magic always comes with a price," Snow recited from memory.

"That is does, but the magic that I possess isn't necessarily dark. I could harm others but I chose not do to it. I believe in a simple motto: As long as I harm none, I can do as I want. It is simple but it serves to protect me and those I love."

"But, magic has a price," Snow stated again.

"I don't bring any back from the dead. I don't make anyone fall in love with someone else. That never turns out the way you want. Bad things tend to happen with matters of the heart are involved. They are some basic tenants that the Fae magicians believe."

"And, what is that?"

"For everything that you do, it will return to you three times as good or bad. I don't like bad things to happen, so I tend to do good things with my magic when it is necessary. I am afraid that something Regina and I did as young adults cost us both of our happiness in our marriages and the lives of our children," Rhiannon told her.

"Children? Regina never had a child. Henry isn't even really hers. She adopted him."

"I know that you don't know the whole story. And, yes, I know that Henry is her adopted son and now, she shares the parenting and responsibilities of him with your daughter. But, to be honest, you were once Regina's daughter, were you not?"

Snow sat there and stared at her. She knew what Rhiannon was telling her was the truth. She didn't know everything about Regina, but then she never sought to find out either. There hatred for each other destroyed whatever relationship they may have had as step-mother and daughter.

"How is this possible?"

"You want to know what harden Regina's heart?"

"I know that when I told her mother about Daniel. Her mother killed Daniel to make sure that she took the throne. It is my fault that he died."

"But is that the only thing?" Rhiannon asked her.

Snow thought about it. She wasn't sure. She knew that it was the motivating factor to Regina's hatred of her and her driving force for her personal vendetta against Snow's happiness. But, could Daniel's death be the only thing that pushed Regina so far into darkness that she became the Evil Queen.

"I don't know."

"I am going to change. The bath should be ready in a few minutes. I need you to both be ready," Regina told them as they came back into the bedroom and left again.

Snow watched her. She knew that Regina had singular mentality and when she had her mind set on something she hardly wavered until she got the conclusion she wanted. She saw that this was the same way. She knew that Regina wouldn't stop until she got what she wanted.

Snow watched her as she came back into the room. She stopped in front of Rhiannon, who handed her the vial. She uncorked it and drank its contents. She twisted her head to the side with the taste and her eyes flashed orange then purple before returning to their normal chocolate brown. Snow's own blue eyes mirrored her bewilderment of the situation. Unsure of what to say, they both stayed quiet.

"You shouldn't feel any different. The potion will mix with your body and be there to rebuild it once death occurs. The magic will activate on its own. It will not free your natural magic, however. You will still have to die for that to happen. I am sorry," Rhiannon told them.

"I am ready."

Snow just shook her head. She silently followed them into the bathroom. She wished that she had the courage to call David or Emma and tell them what she was about to do, but she couldn't talk. The shock of it all had dumbfounded her to her core. The nonchalance of both Rhiannon and Regina was characteristic of their nature, but Snow felt so out of place. She had agreed to do this. She had agreed to kill Regina in order to be forgiven. Was the punishment worth the crime? She wasn't sure, but she willing to find out. She was still torn about the fact that she was the one that destroyed Cora and Regina has let her live in her guilt. If this act would absolve her of that guilt, then she would do it.

Regina entered the tub and sat down in the water. Rhiannon sat across the room on the toilet and waited. She couldn't do anything until Regina was technically dead. The potion would start to work, but she needed to make sure that magics inside Regina had been loosened. She would force Regina back to life. The one rule that she would never break wouldn't be broken because technically it would be the Phoenix Oil that would give Regina back her life. Rhiannon was just going to jump start it, just in case Regina's own magics didn't.

Snow watched as Regina slowly lay down in the water and waited. Snow kneeled next to the tub. She gave Regina and Rhiannon both a pleading look. Regina just smiled at her. Rhiannon sat stoically on the toilet and waited. Snow stared at the ceiling and gave a silent prayer to whoever might be listening. She looked over at Rhiannon again.

"Put one hand on her heart and the other on her head. You'll have to hold her under. No matter how much she resists, you'll have to keep her under the water. You will have to be resolved to that or this will not work," Rhiannon told her.

She swallowed hard. She sighed. She leaned over the tub and looked at the submerged Regina. She closed her eyes and extended her arms over into the water. She placed her left hand on Regina's chest, but hovered her right hand over her face. Regina dipped her head under the water and blinked up at Snow. She pushed her hand down onto her face and held her down.

At first, she didn't need any pressure, but as time passed and Regina's body began to beg for oxygen, Snow had to actually hold her firmly down in the water. Snow closed her eyes so she didn't have to watch the events unfolding before her. It was enough that she could feel Regina thrashing under her hands as she steadily increased the pressure to hold her down. She felt knew that it was Regina's hand the grabbed her arms and held onto her tightly. It was almost enough for Snow to stop and let go.

"Don't ease up," Rhiannon said, breaking the through the splashing and helping Snow maintain her resolve and her nerve in this venture.

She kept her under the water. It felt like hours, but it had to be mere minutes. It was almost over, she presumed when the first wave of blinding light hit her.

"Hold fast. Her magic is breaking through. It will be soon," Rhiannon told her as she came near them both, she put her hand over Snow's and helped her hold Regina in the water.

Wave after wave of blinding light passed through her, but Snow didn't ease up. Rhiannon helped her stay the course and eventually the light stopped. She opened her eyes and looked down at the lifeless body in the water. She realized that she had felt the last bits of Regina's life ebb from her. Her heart started breaking.

"You wanted to know," Rhiannon told her, "Now know what it was like for Regina."

Snow looked at her questioningly before another round of blinding light passed before her. She blinked and was blinded. When she opened her eyes, she was back in her father's castle. She flinched not prepared to see him standing before her, again, alive.

* * *

Across town Emma and Henry were sharing an ice cream sundae and having hot chocolate with their customary cinnamon on top. David was sitting across from them in the booth at Granny's flanked by Ava and Ruth. They each had a different flavor of ice cream they were enjoying. Ruby watched them as she finished cleaning down the high counter and preparing for closing for the evening. They were all smiling and enjoying some family time together.

Ruby suddenly stopped cleaning and looked up at Emma. There was something in her eyes that made her put down her spoon, when Emma returned the gaze. Ruby sniffed the air and shook her head in dismay.

"Sheriff, we might have a problem," she told her.

Emma immediately was out of the booth and at the counter next to Ruby.

"What? What is it? What do you smell?" she questioned her, frantic with worry.

"Magic."

Ruby had no sooner said the word than a blinding light burst into the diner. Emma hid behind one of the bar stools and watched as David and Henry pulled the girls under the table. They waited for the burst of light to stop. When it did, Emma made like she was going to move out from behind the stool only to be stopped in her tracks by another wave of blinding light.

"David, you okay?" she called out to her father.

"We're fine."

"Henry?" she questioned her son.

"I'm good, Ma. What is that? What is causing that light?" he replied, staring at his birth mother across the diner in wide-eyed fear.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out just as soon as I can."

Ruby kept her back to the door and snatched Emma around the corner. Her hazel eyes were wild and she could tell that Ruby was fighting the change. She looked at Emma and found the solidarity that she needed to maintain her control.

"Any ideas?" Emma asked her, trying to keep her mind from slipping into the change.

"No, but I've never smelled magic like that before."

"How do you mean?"

"It wasn't evil, but it wasn't normal either."

"Can you tell me anything, Rubes?"

"Not at the moment."

"It's okay. We're all okay. I'll figure it out as soon as the blasted light stops."

Ruby nodded and waited. She didn't know what else to do. Emma had become more of a leader and sheriff in the past few years. She maintained the peace and order and she had learned to not question certain things without talking to Regina about it first. Some of the more "magical" inhabitants of Storybrooke forgot that they weren't in the Enchanted Forest all the time. The few "mistakes" had been easy to correct and deal with. This…this was on a whole other plain for them and she could tell by the way that Ruby was acting. This was no ordinary magic at work.

"I think the light stopped," David said, coming out from under the table.

"Everyone okay?" Emma asked as she and Ruby came out from behind the counter.

"We're all fine, but what about Mom, Emma. Is she okay? Did she text you yet?" Henry asked.

The question was palpable. Everyone then shared the same thoughts. Snow and Regina weren't with them. Were they still okay, too?

"Don't worry, Kid. I'll go check on your Mom. You all stay here. I call you if I need you."

"Oh, hell no, I'm going with you. I am still a deputy when needed," Ruby stated, throwing David the keys, "Lock up down here and head upstairs. The apartment is waiting for you."

Henry ran over to Emma and gave her a big hug. He was worried and he could tell that she was, too. But, for once, he didn't beg to go with her. He was scared, but he understood that he should stay with David and the girls. He would protect his young twin aunts with her grandfather by his side if need be and he knew that Emma knew it.

"Make sure she's okay, Ma. Make sure she's okay. You saved her once. Don't let anything happen to my Mom, Emma. Promise me," he stated, liked a wounded kid.

"I won't, Kid. I promise. Everything will be okay," Emma told him as they left the diner.

"Everything is going to be okay," she stated as she fired up the Bug and started driving towards the Mayor's house. "Everything is going to be okay. Regina and Snow are fine. Everything is going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay, right, Rubes?"

Emma gave her a pleading look as she drove. Ruby just kept her nose up, sniffing the air and pointing. Both of their hearts sank as they pulled in the drive of 108 Mifflin Street. They got out of the car and stared at each other over the roof of the Bug.

"Everything is going to be alright, right, Ruby?" Emma asked, again, as she drew her Glock, just in case, as they approached the door.

For once, Ruby didn't have an answer.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Trigger warnings: possible rape flashbacks and mentions, no graphic detail**

**Chapter 14**

"You've given my daughter hope again. I thank you for that. I am glad that you consented to being my wife. Snow needs someone who will be there for her now that her mother is gone. I cannot do it, because I have to run the kingdom."

"I understand, Majesty," Snow felt herself reply, but it was Regina's voice that answered.

Leopold came closer to her. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked down into her eyes. She smiled up at him, but Snow wasn't feeling the admiration or love that she had for her father. She was feeling Regina's fear, her heartbreak and the pain of knowing that Daniel was dead. He gave her a weak smile.

"I think that I should go, now. I'll let you get used to be here before I come to you, my Queen. One day, I hope that you can see what I see in you," Leopold told her as he left.

Snow's mind was racing. She was reliving Regina's memories as Regina. She felt a hand touch her forehead and she blinked back into the present. She saw Rhiannon and the lifeless body of Regina in the tub. She gasped, quiet loud, and then scooted across the massive bathroom floor until she hit the wall farthest away from the tub.

"Don't look so amazed, Majesty. You have only done what she asked, but now, I need your help. Can you help me lift her? I would like to put her on the bed. It will make the next part of her transition easier," Rhiannon told her.

Numbly, Snow moved. She watched the taller Celtic woman moving, never once straying from her path. Snow helped her put Regina on the bed. They laid her out on the left side of the bed upon some towels that Rhiannon had already laid out.

"She's dead. What good can you do for her? You know that magic can't bring her back."

"Not the type of magic that you know, no it can't. But, the magic that I have is different. It is healing her from the inside out. She isn't completely dead. She is just mostly dead."

Snow looked at her again, her head to the side. She didn't know what the woman wanted but Regina was dead. She was breathing and it was her fault. It was just then that another pain ran through her heart and she hit the floor hard. She pushed away from the sight in her mind but couldn't make it go away.

Emma and Ruby heard the thud from upstairs and ran up to see what it was. They burst through the door way to see the scene before them unraviling. Snow was next to the wall between the wardrobe and Regina's dressing table. She looked bewildered and devastated at the same time. Her blue eyes were shaking and the tears that were forming were refusing to fall.

Emma took in the sight before turning to her bed. She saw the lifeless body of Regina, laid out like she was on display for mourning. She didn't understand why Regina wasn't moving or why she wet. Then she saw that Rhiannon was standing over her with one hand on her heart and the other on her head. She was mumbling under her breath the phrase repeatedly.

Ruby left Emma's side to go to Snow. She tried to gather Snow up in her arms, but she pushed her away with a very determined force. Ruby turned back to Emma, who had suddenly found herself in a living nightmare.

Emma raised her weapon and pointed it at Rhiannon, "What did you do?"

Rhiannon didn't answer. She continued her chanting over the water logged body of Regina. She actually seemed completely oblivious to everything around her. Her eyes, when Emma could finally see them, weren't blue, but they were this ethereal white like all the color had disappeared. Emma cocked her head, but didn't make a move to lower her pistol.

"I killed her," Snow said faintly.

Ruby's expression changed. She studied her friend and then Emma, the daughter of her friend who was also her friend. The look that Emma shot her was one of pure and unfiltered rage, pain and love mixed. Ruby put herself between them, knowing that at the moment, Emma was liable to do something she would completely regret in the morning.

"You what?!"

"Emma…" Ruby started in warning, arching her body, preparing for a fight she didn't want.

"She asked me."

Emma's mouth dropped. She stared at her mother in disbelief and then at the body on her bed. She sank to her knees and began rocking. Her mind and her heart breaking at once, her hand dropped and Ruby took the pistol from her.

Ruby watched the scene unfolding before her. She didn't know what to do. Regina was dead. Snow was confessing to murdering her. Rhiannon was doing something over the body and Emma was…well, Emma was useless.

Ruby started to lift Snow up off the floor. She would take her to the jail herself, to save Emma from arresting her own mother. Just as she got Snow to her feet, she heard Snow gasp as she looked at the body of Regina. Ruby turned to see the blue eyes of her friend betray her as the tears began to drift down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Regina. I didn't know. I would have stopped him, if I'd known," Snow told her, trying to get to the bed.

Emma came to a little and bore a hole into her mother with her eyes. She stood up, crossed the room and stopped next Ruby. Ruby still had a hold on Snow, who was slowly moving herself to the bed and Regina. Emma's anger was rolling off of her in wave after wave.

"What are you talking about?" Emma demanded.

"If I'd known…I'm sorry…Forgive me," Snow said, falling to the floor again.

Rhiannon stopped chanting and turn around to survey the room. She was a little surprised that Emma and Ruby had joined them, but she knew that it would help with her task. She bent down to Snow and tipped her head back with a finger under her chin.

"Can you walk?"

"Yes," she replied.

"Good. Come over here with me. We aren't done. She's is almost ready," Rhiannon told Snow as she ignored Emma and Ruby like they were just spectators to the events.

She pulled Snow around to the other side of the bed and had her lay down. Emma almost lost herself, but Ruby stopped her with her hand. Ruby made it a point for her to see her sniffing the air and smelling the magics in the room. Emma then tried to do the same and swore she could faintly smell something. Snow blindly did was Rhiannon begged. She lay down beside the body of Regina. Rhiannon took her hand and placed it over Regina's.

As Rhiannon got them in position, she mounted the bed and got between them. She watched as Snow squeezed Regina's hand with her own. She knelt between them and placed a hand on each of their hearts. She began to chant again in a language that no one else understood.

Snow woke up in pain. She knew the room she was in wasn't hers. It was the Queen's. It was Regina's. She sat up slowly and stared into the closet mirror. She was Regina again, in her past.

She could feel every pained muscle. She felt the unwanted dampness between her legs, but she was afraid to investigate. She didn't want know more than she already did.

"Get up, Dear. This is no way to spend your days. You are Queen, now. Act like it," Cora told her, pulling back the curtains and letting the light of day wash over the room.

"You didn't stop him?"

"Why would I, Dear? He is your husband. He is allowed to your body."

Snow was aghast. How could she have not seen this as a child? Regina had been unhappy. She hadn't asked for the marriage. She hadn't asked to become mother to a teenager, when she herself was still a teen. She hadn't asked for the all the unwanted advances of King Leopold.

"But, he…he…"

"He can't, Dear. He is your husband and it is his rite. Besides, you will have to provide him with an heir unless you want that tattle-telling brat to take the throne from you," Cora told her.

"Snow?"

"Yes, she could be your undoing, Darling. I have done all of this for you, so you could be queen and now, you are. You can thank me later for it, but I promise that you will find your so called happiness now. You have all the power in the land. People will cower to you," Cora explained.

"I don't want power. I don't care about being Queen. I want love. I want Daniel."

"The boy is dead. And, it doesn't matter about love, my Dear. Love is nothing but weakness."

Snow gasped. Ruby held Emma back from the bed. She didn't know enough about what was going on, but she knew that Rhiannon was trying to save them both. Emma would just have to wait and believe. Both of which Ruby knew that Emma wasn't keen on doing.

"Everything is my fault," Snow said to the ceiling.

"If I hadn't told Cora about Daniel, none of this would have happened. Regina would have found her happiness and I would have been able to raise my daughter without consequence. That is all you ever wanted, wasn't it, Regina? You were just looking for your happiness."

Emma watched as her mother broke further and more completely on the bed. Her heart ached for her mother, but the anger that her mother had destroyed Regina was clouding her emotions. She didn't know what to do. But, Snow wasn't done telling them the awful truth.

"I was a child. I didn't know any better. I thought I was helping you, but instead, I am the reason that you became evil. If I had just kept my mouth shut. If I had just listened to what you were telling me, but I didn't. I couldn't. I was lonely and I wanted a mother. You saved me. You risked your life for me and how did I repay you? I was the reason that your happiness was crushed. I have seen the devastation of that night through your eyes. I am sorry.

"I didn't know what my father was doing, because I was too absorbed in getting what I wanted. He indulged me and you tried to be friend. You hid the fact that Daniel was dead, by telling me he'd run away. You tried to protect me even though it was my fault. I don't understand. Why would you do something like that? Especially for me? What did I do to deserve your love?

"And, then, after all the chances, after all the times that I set you free because somewhere in my heart I could still see the good in you. I could feel it in you. I tried to give you what you wanted. I tried to help you find your happiness, but I was too naïve to realize that it was dead. Your heart was broken and every time you saw me happy, it was like a knife to the heart.

"I don't blame you, Regina. I forgive you. I understand now the devastation and humiliation that I caused you. We are equally to blame for my daughter's upbringing. I cannot wholly blame you for that. I see that now. I forgive you. Now, wake up and look up at my daughter and find your happy ending. I release you of yours bonds and hereby fully royally pardon you of the crimes against me and my family. Wake up and love with a restored heart," Snow stated.

Emma blinked back tears that she hadn't known had formed. She felt Ruby relax beside her as they neared the bed. Emma took up Regina's other hand and held it. She stared down at the lifeless body, ignoring the chanting and Rhiannon, and she swore that she felt Regina's hand move in her own.

She leaned forward and kissed Regina on the mouth before telling her, "I love you."

Everyone in the room gasped as Regina and Snow's bodies both arched up off the bed. Another wave of blinding light passed through the room. Their bodies hit the bed with enough force that the bed sagged heavily before returning to its natural state. Rhiannon leaned back onto her heels and looked at them. Emma held her breath waiting for Regina to open her eyes.

"Tell her what you need to, Snow. She can hear you. Tell her the words she needs," Rhiannon told her, removing her hands from their chests.

"Regina, wake up. I've pardoned you. I forgive you. I just want the woman back who was my friend before my father died. I want that Regina back. I would give anything to see her, again."

"Anything?" Emma asked.

Snow could see the pain in her daughter's eyes. She knew what Regina needed to hear, but she was scared to say it. Too many times had she been burned by Regina, but that was before…before Emma healed her heart, before she realized that Emma was her true love and before she knew the truth behind the pain she always saw in Regina's eyes. She knew then what she had to do. She'd forgiven her, she pardoned her, but she was still holding something back.

"Princess Regina Mills of the Winterlands, I hereby as Queen of the Enchanted Forest and the Summerlands, due rightfully and without prejudice pardon you of the crimes against this crown and its people. I free you from your bondage and unbind you from your magical shackles. But most importantly, I give you my blessing to be with my daughter, your true love."

They all gasped as Regina's eyes fluttered open.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Bevin stared at him in wonder. He was asking her for help in her story. He might not have all the answers to the problems that she was facing but she knew that he was one of the few in area that could help her. He didn't seem too scared to ask her for help with his project. She was more afraid of him finding out her unknown truth than she was at being able to accept it.

"Can you help me?"

"I don't know what you need my help for. You seem to have a good grasp of the story without my help. How much more can you learn from me?"

"I need to know what the tales are from you neck of the woods. Like I said earlier, each section of the British Isles seems to have their own take of the legends. I can't seem to crack the code of legends in Ireland. It all seems so…hidden, like no one wants to tell the tales," he told me.

"I don't know that it is hidden. We are a fair people, but we don't take well to strangers. Irish don't work well with outsiders. We don't seem to have a good track record or haven't you read our history regarding that?" Bevin asked.

"I know Irish history and no, the Irish don't seem to have a good record with the invaders. But, the lore is so much more. The tales of the Sorcha that blend within the families of the Banshee are exquisite. There is nothing like them anywhere else."

"And, that is a bad thing?" Bridget asked, joining the conversation.

"No, it isn't. But, in most lore and legends, there is some truth. The stories are a way of explaining history. Most of the people of the British Isles believe that Arthur was a king there, but no one can say when or where exactly. The Welsh use his standard at their national flag. His legacy is so ingrained in the hearts and minds that it has to have some semblance of truth. People don't just readily believe anything. I mean, they celebrate the Hill of Tara as his burial mound. The Irish mostly celebrate Brian as the great one of their lore. But, there is a handful that still wants Avalon to return."

"But, that handful isn't necessarily of Irish decadency, either," Bevin stated.

"No, they aren't. They are mostly Scotch-Irish or English-Irish that developed with the 'breed them out' mentality of the English. That is why when I find of clansman that will speak to me about the stories and the lore, I want to explore every aspect of their version. It helps me get a more rounded version."

"I don't understand," Bevin stated.

"Well, you are a Cavanaugh from Kildaire, right?"

"Yeah, so," she replied.

"There are others who share your ancestry but not your name and location. The clan that your people come from is the Caomhánach, which is Gaelic for Kavana. Your pronunciation is years in the making to form Cavanaugh and very Anglican. But, there are others. There are six houses in Ireland that are said to be descendants or related somehow to the Banshee. Cavanaugh isn't the only one," he told her.

"Who else then?" Bevin asked.

"They are the clans of O'Grady, O'Neill, O'Longs, the O'Brians, and O'Connors and the Kavanas. Of course, the O'Brians are descendants of the Brian Boru, the High King. The O'Neills and O'Connors were relatives of his. It is the Kavana and O'Grady lines that interest me the most and they are the hardest to get information from."

"But, I don't know how much of my version differs from what you already told me."

"You come from one of the lines of Morgan and Merlin. In that respect, you would be considered part Fae and not of this world. I don't know what that means per se but the stories are passed down from generation to generation. The overall beginnings change but the end is always the same," he told them.

"Avalon is reborn, I know."

"Then, please tell me what you know."

Bevin looked pensively over at Bridget. She raked a hand through her hair, but thankfully, Seamus didn't see the waves of fiery red that were hidden underneath. Bevin heard the slightly audible gasp that Bridget made before she turned to face her. She saw the look of panic in her eyes and then realized what she had done. She shook her head and then nodded at him. Bevin smiled, strangely, but she understood what Bridget was trying to convey.

"I don't know about the Arthurian connection. It seems to not matter to the way my Granddadda told the stories. In fact, I didn't even put it together with Avalon. To me Avalon is a place, a focal point if you will, it became an idea with the legends. If Avalon is to be reborn, it cannot be at the hands of Arthur. Avalon would have to have someone of Fae blood to draw Excalibur from the lake. But, the person to do this would have to be worthy and the need would have to be there. I don't see a need to have a united Ireland unless Northern Ireland wanted to rejoin the fold. I don't see that happening with the differences between the Catholics and Protestants."

"And, yet you don't see the need?"

"My country is a religious war torn nation, yes, but we make it work. It wasn't always that way and the people know it. I think that those that still believe in the legends want Avalon to return Ireland to a former glory that it cannot have today. It would be like trying to erase hundreds of years for a period of peace. Who would do such a thing?"

"It does seem farfetched, but still the story," he pressed.

"It is a family legend, mostly. When, where and who started it are unknown to me, but I can tell you this. A child would be born to the Clan of the Raven. This child would be known to its mother for thirteen days and thirteen hours. The child would be gone and replaced by another's. The mother wouldn't learn of the deception until the child's thirteenth year, but by then it would be too late. She would have no way of knowing where the child went or with who."

"A kidnapping?"

"Of a hideous kind, and a break of trust and friendship that would end the kingdom, if the king were to find out. In the thirteenth year, the Queen would realize that the son she was raising was not her own. When she would question the man who brought the boy to them, she would finally see the connection. The boy's father would have placed him in their care to pursue his own agenda. He was a friend to the king, but not a friend of the Queen. He also had the King's ear."

"Meaning?" Bridget asked.

"That he could tell lies to the King and he would believe them. Which is exactly what he did. He convinced the King that the Queen had destroyed the first born child at birth because she didn't want a rival, but what she didn't know was that she had twins. This friend saved the second child, the son, and gave him back to the King to raise. The Queen had no way of disproving this and since she was of a foreign house to the King he believed the young lord."

"But, the Queen was from the house of the Raven and not the King, correct?" he asked.

"Yes, she was. He was a Wolf and supposedly from the direct line of Bran the Great. She had no recourse but to hide and bide her time. She was of the Fae, so it was no consequence to her. It this exile she found out that the wannabe usurper hadn't taken the child as thought. He tried, but when he learned it was missing he replaced it with his own son."

"If the child was missing, how did the Queen not know?"

"That is vague and not told. It is the life of the child that my Granddadda told me. This child was hidden among the Banshee for they were still the protectors of the Fae and children of Morgan. They are all of the house of the Raven. They are referred to as the Morriagan."

"The Raven goddesses?"

"The same."

"Then they hid the child to protect it."

"So the story goes. But, the child's fate is still unknown. It is not known if it is still hidden among the children of the Morriagan, the Banshees, or not, but it hasn't been found. The story goes that the child will be known by the marking of the Sorcha, but to this day, no one in my family could tell me what they are. The child will not be revealed until the new Pendragon comes of age and it given his birth rite. He is the only one that can find the Sorcha, because he is the only one that believes the tales are true. But there is only one problem with that," Bevin explained.

"Yes, and what is that?"

"No one knows what the child looks like. And the only thing that we know is that the child is hidden amongst the clans of the Banshee. The child will not be a keener. The child will not know their history. And, the only way that the child would be found is by the color of its hair."

"Ní bheidh sé iompróidh an marc an dorchadais ar a cheann," he stated in Irish.

"Aye, Seamus, 'tis true. This child wouldn't be like the rest of the family. It wouldn't have dark hair. I think that this is referring to the Sorcha. The Sorcha bears hair like fire. Every relative I know bears the mark of the Duncan."

"They are black Irish," he replied.

"Aye, they are. As are most of the clans of the Banshee, it is because they are descendants of Morgan and the houses of the Raven. Darkness cloaks us all. There is no fire in our blood."

"Is there more?" he questioned, realizing that there was more that he hadn't heard to the tale.

"Isn't there always more to the story, Professor?" she quipped. "Isn't there always more to the tales? Isn't there always something else that must be proven or found before the legend becomes truth? It is the tales of old men and children and nothing more. I am sorry to have wasted your time. It was enlightening for me. Thank you."

Bridget quickly closed the browsers and followed her out of the reading room. She was confused at Bevin's quick change of heart concerning the legend. She actually had to jog a little to catch her before she exited the Thomas Cooper Library.

"What the Hell was that?"

"He knows too much," she offered.

"What do you mean?"

"He knows more to the story than he is telling me."

"And, you left like that because."

"If I stayed any longer, he would have figured it out."

"Figured what out?"

"That I have the marks of the Sorcha. He would try to push me into some fool's errand trying to fulfill a legend that I don't believe in. This is all very mad, you know? All of it," she replied.

"So, what do you want to do?"

"We are going to dye my hair and wait."

"Wait? Wait for what? Him to come for you?"

"No, not Dr. Seamus, the Pendragon. If legend is true, he will come for me. But, he is at a disadvantage," Bevin told her.

"And, how is that?"

"Because I will know him as soon as I set eyes on him. He will bear the marks of the Pendragon. He will come for me because his heart cannot stop him from searching for me."

"Is that all?"

"No, it isn't."

"And, what else will this Pendragon be?"

"He will be a great knight among his people. His lineage will be questionable, but he will bear the marks of three great houses. He will be the unifying son of his people. He won't be Irish, Welsh or Scotch. He won't be from the British Isles at all. He will come from the land of Man."

"Oh, is that all."

"No, it isn't, but it is a start. Come on. I want to get this over with. And, then I'm calling my Granddadda. Either he'll tell me the truth, or he won't, but it is time we talked again."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Chapter 16

Emma fell down beside the bed. She didn't realize that she was crying until her own tears landed on her hands. She reached out for Regina's hand, again, but Regina pulled away. Emma wasn't sure what to make of it but she knew that she didn't like it. There was something different in Regina's eyes. It was then that Regina finally sat up, slightly, in the bed, just enough for them to see her eyes. They were no longer brown, but a light shade of lavender.

"Regina?" Emma asked.

"I am fine, Miss Swan," she finally answered.

Snow rolled over and looked at Regina. She wasn't sure what to make of her step-mother. She looked over at her daughter's eyes. The green eyes met blue in pure wonderment. She could see the pleading look in her daughter's eyes. She needed to help her but she was the cause of her pain. How could she deal with the truth? How could she tell her that she was the reason that Regina died?

"Do not fear the truth, Dear. I am fine. I am more than fine. My dear Snow, thank you," Regina told her, as she blindly reached across the bed and took Snow's hand.

Snow turned back to Regina and looked into her eyes. She saw a clarity in them that she hadn't seen since she was a child. There was a peace behind them. Snow held Regina's hand. As she held her hand, Snow felt her pull her up to a sitting position on the bed.

"Regina?" Emma asked again.

"I am fine, Dear. I need to speak with Snow, alone. Please. I promise that I am okay. Can you go make me a cup of coffee? We'll be down shortly," Regina told them as she got up from the bed.

Snow stayed sitting. Emma watched them. There was something different about them. Emma knew that some happened between them but she didn't know what it was. She could only hope that they would explain it to her. Rhiannon stood by and watched the silent interactions, but she waiting to see who was going to move first.

"This is not over," Emma told them.

"I am sure, Dear."

Emma stood up, gathered Ruby and Rhiannon and led the way out the door. She knew that she needed to call Henry to let him know that everything was okay. Well as okay as it could be considering everything that she'd seen. She had no idea how to tell her …no, their son that his mother had possibly died. She knew it old be best for her to wait for Regina's explanation.

Snow could see the difference in Regina's countenance, but she didn't know what to say. She thought her lavender eyes were unsettling, but she still said nothing. She couldn't understand why after everything that Regina had just been through that she would push Emma away the way she did. But, again, she said nothing. She just watched her step-mother and waited…waited to see what Regina was going to do now that she had been pardoned and she had her powers.

"You can stop staring at any time, Dear," Regina told her.

"I am sorry. I just don't know what to say to you. I don't know what to make of this."

"I believe that is understandable considering everything that had happened today."

"You do realize that your eyes lavender, right?" Snow asked her.

Regina cocked her eyebrow at her. She didn't know. She hadn't looked in the mirror to yet to see what her death would have done to her body. She wasn't sure that she was ready for that.

"No, I didn't. But, that explains the look that Emma was giving me. I believe that it should go away."

"She is upset."

"Who? Miss Swan? I am sure that she is. I'll explain everything to her, later, when we are alone."

"She loves you."

"I know that, Dear. I love her, too, but there are bigger things to worry about right now than the color of my eyes. I am sure that you can agree to that."

"I did already, didn't I?"

"I only have one question for you, my dear Snow," Regina told her.

"What?"

"Did you mean it?"

"Did I mean what?" Snow asked.

"Did you mean it when you said that you were giving me a full pardon?"

"Yes, I did."

"Why?"

"You love Emma. She loves you. Obviously, you are good together. She has helped you find your way again. Who am I to stand in the way? If she is your true love, things would have worked out in your benefit eventually. You of all people should know that. She is living proof of that for Charming and me. It is the reason that I will give you our blessing, too," Snow explained to her.

"She may not understand," Regina told her.

"I know that."

"You need to talk to her as well. Maybe, we should talk to her together. I think if we tell her everything, she might actually believe us both. Don't you agree?" Regina asked.

"We don't know that she won't believe us."

"She is a Charming, after all."

"She is. She is just as stubborn as her father. She is as resilient as I am. She is the best of us both. She is most certainly a Charming, but despite that she is her own person. And, she is most definitely yours," Snow replied.

"How do you deal with that?"

"How do I deal with what?"

"How do you handle the fact that I am your worst enemy and yet I have the love of your daughter? That cannot sit well with you. I know how you must hate me."

"Hate is a very strong word," Snow replied.

"But still, I tried to end you."

"But, you didn't."

"I sought to keep you from your happy ending."

"Emma saved us all," Snow replied.

"I made you wallow in the misery of killing my mother," Regina replied.

"You forgave me."

"I killed your father."

"I know what he did to you."

Regina stopped. She never told anyone about Leopold's visits. She looked into the young Queen's eyes, trying to find the answers to the questions that she was afraid to ask. There was something that she knew that Snow wasn't telling her. She arched her delicately sculpted eyebrow at the woman before her and waited for Snow to say something else.

"You what?" Regina asked.

"I know what my father did to you."

"You have no idea what you are talking about, Dear. That is a subject that is off limits, even for you. I will not discuss him with you."

Snow crossed the room. Her heart was heavy with grief but she knew that Regina needed her, now, more than she would ever care to admit. Their shared history gave them a unique relationship. Even Snow had to admit that the relationship that they fostered before her father's death was tenuous at best but there had been some honest friendship underneath the veil of hatred that Regina wore. Even Regina couldn't deny that.

"Regina, you need to talk about it."

"You need to learn to keep things to yourself, Dear," Regina replied.

"I know what he did to you."

"You know nothing."

"I would have stopped him if I could. I could have spoken up. I could have asked that you stay with me, until…"

"Enough!"

"Regina, I didn't know. I didn't know."

"And, yet, you still don't, do you?" she asked her with all the venom she could summon.

"No, I don't."

"How did you get this information?"

"Rhiannon gave me your memories."

"Why on Earth would she do that?" Regina asked her.

"So, I would know what it felt like."

"To know what what felt like?"

"To have your heart ripped out of your chest," Snow replied.

Regina moved away from her. She couldn't look into her eyes anymore because she saw the pain of her life reflected back at her. The one woman that she wanted to hate, that she envied for all of her passion and emotion, the one woman that would have been her complete undoing knew was it was like to be her if only for a moment.

"Trust me, Dear. You don't know the half of it. And, if you did, you'd be begging me to take the memories back," Regina told her.

"I've seen more than I want of your past, yes, Regina. I saw what my father did you. I saw what your mother did to you. I know of the blood promise that you and Rhiannon have."

"How can you know?" Regina asked.

"She showed me."

"Show me," Regina demanded.

"I don't have magic. You know that. How can I show you something that I don't understand?"

"Give me your hand," Regina commanded as she took Snow's hand.

She felt the power of her memories flow through Snow's hands into her own. Her eyes glowed as she felt her memories coming back to her and the end of the Rhiannon's magic ebbing. She saw the light return to Snow's eyes. She knew the memories that Snow saw weren't the one that she would have traded so that Snow would learn from her past.

"Why would she give you those?"

"Because she knew that you weren't as tainted as you would believe."

"I am tainted."

"Emma healed your heart."

"Yes, she did."

"I forgave you."

"Yes, you have, Dear, but what part of that matters?" Regina quipped.

"In my forgiveness of you, I gave you back your freedom and your powers."

"That you have," she replied, arming herself with a fireball before extinguishing it in her hand.

"Regina," Snow stated in warning.

"Don't worry, Dear. I am not going to hurt you. You are family after all."

"Do you know how you freed both your soul and my heart?"

"No, but I am sure that you are going to give me a very lengthy explanation."

"No, Regina, I'm not. It was simple, so very simple. I wish I had thought of it earlier."

"What is that?"

"You forgave me."

"I don't forgive anyone."

"You did. You forgave me. It was your price in our little adventure. I know that you did it to help Rhiannon. You have always been a woman of her word. And, you are one to never back down from a fight. This is a fight that I think you know how to win, but you were being held back. I was holding you back. The darkness in your soul was holding you back. We freed your soul and your powers."

"Forgiveness doesn't eradicate years of heartache and evil," Regina told her.

"I can if you let it," Snow replied.

"Don't you know that I can't be redeemed? You said so yourself. You were willing to lock me away in the dungeon and let me rot for my crimes. You couldn't have forgotten that. What changed for you, Snow? How could I be pardoned by you so easily?" Regina asked her.

"Because you love my daughter."

"Love is weakness."

"Love isn't weakness, Regina. It is everything. It is the driving force behind everything."

"Love…causes nothing but heartache and pain."

"Love heals and gives us strength and hope."

"Love causes war and grief."

"Love gives us family when even blood can't," Snow told her.

"Family…"

"Yes, family, Regina."

"And, who would want me in their family? I am the Evil Queen. I am a murderer. I am not worthy of love. I never have been," Regina stated.

"And, yet, you've won the heart of my daughter. You raised your son with all the love and compassion that you could muster. Better yet, you defended the entire town because of love. Of everyone that I know that has been slighted in the past, Regina, you are the most deserving of love and forgiveness. Both of which I will give to you freely, if you will let me," Snow said.

"Why?"

"Because, you have saved me…countless times and even you deserve a happy ending."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Emma leaned against the counter in the kitchen. She was watching the coffee pot brew and trying not to pace around the room. Ruby watched her, knowing she should say something to her friend, but unsure where to begin.

"How are you so damn calm, right now?" Emma asked her.

"Because, I don't know what is going on, but I know that Regina and Snow will explain it soon enough. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt. I know that Snow is your mother, but she is also my friend. Regina is your lover. They may be enemies but sometimes they do come together for a common goal," Ruby replied, "We just need to find out what that is."

"I don't want to wait."

"I know that it is hard, Emma, but we have to do this. You need to let them explain what happened. We can't go off half-cocked. You always tell me that, remember?"

Emma just eyed her. She grabbed some cups from the cupboard and put them on the counter. Rhiannon watched their uneasy quietness and waited for the magically warm liquid that was brewing in the strange contraption. She let them discuss their theories about what happened.

"You wanna say something?" Emma asked Rhiannon.

"About what, Princess Emma?"

"Please stop calling me that."

"But, you are a princess, dear. It would be wrong of me not to address you as such. Besides, I may not know your mother well, but I can tell that she is a strong woman with a stronger daughter. Do you deny this?" she asked her.

"I don't."

"But, you deny yourself."

"I deny myself?" Emma questioned.

"Isn't that how you freed the town to begin with? Your own son had to teach you to believe in your own destiny. You have hard a life, but you realized that it made you who you are. But, yet, you still deny the heredity that you are due for a woman that tried to kill you as an infant. Your choices in life have confused and confounded everyone because no understands you. They all believe that you should fall in line to their thinking, but you haven't and you can't."

"Who are you?"

"I am someone who understands that life isn't what your told will be but what you make of it."

"That still doesn't tell me who you are," Emma stated.

"So what gives with you? You come waltzing in the town and ask for Regina by titles that she hasn't had in years. Within days, you've turned this house upside down and all on the day of Henry's birth. So, I think that you owe her an explanation. If anyone here deserves to know what is going on with Regina, it would be Emma," Ruby stated.

"It is a very long story, my dear wolf child, but it is one that I sure would be best coming from Regina. This isn't my tale to tell. Needless to say that Regina owes me a favor, one in which I have gladly paid over several times. But, we have already hashed this out, haven't we Sheriff?"

"That we have, but that still hasn't answered all my questions," Emma stated.

"I know that and I understand your frustration but I cannot divulge information that is not mine to give. I can tell you that your mother and Regina came to an agreement upstairs. This was not done lightly nor will the consequences be easy for either of them."

"You have done nothing but speak in riddles since you got here," Emma replied.

"What you call riddles, I call truth."

"Some truth when no one else can understand you or it," Emma said.

Snow and Regina knew they didn't hear them come into the kitchen. There was still an uneasy air between them, but there was a lightness between them. Emma turned around finally feeling them behind her. She couldn't believe that they were there together, holding hands and smiling. Emma's mouth hung open as she tried to study the lavender eyes of her lover and the blue of her mother. Rhiannon caught her gaze and turned around to see them.

"Your majesties," Rhiannon stated as she curtseyed.

"Emma," Snow started, crossing the room and taking her hands, "We need to talk, as a family."

"Ruby, can you please leave us for a few moments," Regina asked.

"Sure, I'll go make sure that Henry and David are okay with the girls. Call me, if you need me. Just don't forget that we got a portal jump to take at nine am sharp for Henry's birthday. Granny will be mad if we're late," Ruby told them.

"We'll make sure that we are there. Please make sure that they are, too, Ruby. Thank you for your help tonight," Snow replied.

Ruby nodded. She smiled at Emma and then took her leave. Regina looked on without a care on her face as she made herself a cup of coffee. She grabbed another mug and made Snow a cup. She passed the mug across the counter and to Snow, who took it blindly before taking a sip. Rhiannon and Emma both watched them and their new found friendship.

"Okay, Ruby is gone. Someone want to tell what the hell is going on, now? Why the hell are you both so chummy all the sudden?" Emma demanded.

"I am not sure that you are ready for the entirety of that conversation, Dear."

"I'll be happy with the Cliff notes version," Emma stated.

"A long time ago, in a faraway land, there was this evil queen…" Regina started.

"Whose heart was hardened by the actions of a very naïve girl…" Snow added.

"This queen spent all her time and energy on trying to end the girl who happened to be a princess."

"This princess had a daughter, a savior for the curse that the Evil Queen was going to enact."

"Neither of them knew their fate at the time, but it was their destiny to cross path in a very magical way."

"Yeah, I know all that. But, what about her? Where does she fit into this?"

"Once the King was dead and Snow was on the run, I wanted to visit an old friend. A friend that supported me from when I was a child, she came to me to try to stem the darkening of my heart."

"That I did, but I found that I was too late," Rhiannon replied.

"Too late?"

"I had already started down the path to becoming the Evil Queen. I was ruthless. I was hard on the people. I wanted Snow to die, but then I wanted her to hurt as much as I did."

"It took a curse and twenty-eight years before I finally understood the pain in Regina's heart," Snow told them, as she took another sip of coffee.

"I know all of that," Emma stated. "What I want to know is what happened upstairs. What was that? What did I walk into? No more bullshit. Quit stalling, I want the truth. Why the Hell would you say that you killed Regina? What am I missing?"

"Dear, I'll explain everything," Regina stated.

"Please do," Emma replied.

"I was in pain. I was suffering. There was nothing more that you could do for me. There was nothing anyone save one could do for me. You healed my heart and helped me find the way back to a more gray way of thinking. You helped me redeem my blackness. I may never find the light that Snow bears, but I don't intentionally go out of way to hurt people."

"The only problem with fixing her heart is that her soul was still black. She needed to be forgiven so that her soul would be freed. The only person that could do that was me," Snow explained. "I was the one person that could forgive her because I am the reason that she stepped to dark side. I am the reason that she never found her happiness or the love that she so deserved but was robbed of so cruelly. Plus, in forgiving Regina, I would earn her forgiveness."

"Her forgiveness for what?" Emma asked.

"I killed her mother."

"I forgave you for that. It was a necessary evil that had to be done. It was also something that I couldn't do. No matter how much I wanted to destroy my mother, I would never have enough power to do that. Snow saved us all that night," Regina told her.

"And, with Regina's request, I did the one thing that would heal us both."

"So?"

"In order to earn the forgiveness I so desired, I had to do one last deed to help Regina find the forgiveness that she needed," Snow stated.

"You had to kill her for that?"

"She did. It was the only way that I could be reborn with a clean soul. It was an act of redemption and forgiveness in one. I had to do it. It would free her soul and my heart."

"But, you killed her?" Emma stammered.

"She did."

"I did."

"But, she is alive?" Emma questioned.

"That would be where I come in, my dears."

Emma turned and looked at Rhiannon. Rhiannon took another sip of her coffee. She sat it down on the counter and smiled at Regina. Regina looked back at her with a new light in her lavender eyes. Emma watched the exchange but said nothing.

"You see, Regina and I made an agreement years ago. I was supposed to keep her from going down her dark path, but I was blocked from returning to her when I could have saved her. I couldn't fulfill my end of the oath when she needed me. But, today, I fulfilled my end of the bargain. She did it knowing that I needed her help. I had to get her unbound and pardoned so that she could use her powers to help me."

"So, Snow gets her forgiveness. Regina gets her rebirth. And, you fulfilled your end of an old blood oath. That's all great, but that doesn't explain how Regina is alive."

"She took a potion from my land. It is a magical elixir that helps with the rebirth of a magical creature, such as Regina. She was chosen by the Dark One before her birth. She was meant to be magical. I could feel it before she could. I knew that she was destined for greatness. I just couldn't see far enough into the future to see how it played out. If I could, I would have been there for her then, but I couldn't. It wasn't in my power to help her then."

"So, you gave her this elixir and she didn't die?"

"Oh, no, I was completely dead," Regina answered.

"But…"

"Stop over thinking it, Dear. I died. But, I am alive, now. The elixir did its job."

"So, Regina lives because of some magic potion. Snow and Regina are all friends now. And, I am just supposed to like this," Emma stated.

"That would be the idea, Dear," Regina replied.

"And, I guess I owe you something for this."

"I only ask that you help me in finding my daughter."

Emma looked at them all. She took another sip of her coffee. She sat the mug down and took a long look into Regina's eyes. Regina smiled back over at her. There was a conversation between them that no one could hear, but Snow saw it.

Snow sat her mug down and stepped around the counter. She took Emma in her arms. She kissed her forehead. She held her daughter, pleading for forgiveness and giving her the hope that she would actually find her happiness with a restored Regina.

"Is there anything else that I might need to know?"

"We are still going to the Enchanted Forest for Henry's birthday celebration," Regina told her.

"Anything else?"

"I gave Regina my royal pardon and my blessing."

"Your blessing?" Emma questioned.

"Yes, she has proven to me that she is your true love. She was willing to die to save her soul, to be the person that your deserve her to be, so that she could love you more fully. She has stayed here under my punishment with you because she has chosen you, Emma."

"I think you got that backwards," Emma stated.

"No, she doesn't," Regina replied. "I could have broken free of the spells that you cast. I didn't. You chose to stay here for me. You chose me over a birth rite. You chose love over a crown. I chose you over magic. Your parents could have made you forget me. They could have done anything they wanted to you magically, but they didn't. Do you know why?"

"Because I would have been very upset about that," Emma answered.

"No, they did it for you. They wanted you to choose where you lived. The only world that you know is here. They know both and can fit in both. You…well, Dear, there are some things that even you need to learn about being a princess."

"I never asked for the title," Emma stated.

"Nevertheless, you were born with it. You were born to be savior, too. And, you keep fulfilling that prophecy in spades, Miss Swan. You not only save Storybrooke and your family. You've saved Henry from Pan. You helped me more times that I can count and in the end, you saved me. When my judgment was handed down to be exiled here, it wasn't a punishment and Snow knew that. It was a way for me to try to gain happiness. It was a way for me to see Henry."

"Henry?"

"I knew that he wouldn't come to the Enchanted Forest without both of you. I knew that you would have a hard time leaving here. I knew that you would want to stay. I never expected you to move in with Regina and fall in love," Snow answered.

"So, Regina's punishment was…"

"All an act for the mass, we came to agreement. I would give them the Enchanted Forest and I would get to keep Storybrooke. We both got what we wanted," Regina replied.

"So, I was just icing on the proverbial cake, then."

"Something like that, but tasty icing at that," Regina stated, cocking an eyebrow.

"Still her mother and still here," Snow said.

"Sorry, Mom."

"Sorry, Snow."

"So, okay…Let me digest all of this. I…need to go to bed. We are still going to Henry's party."

"Yes, and while we are there, I plan on announcing my pardon for Regina."

"And, then we are going to…"

"Help Rhiannon find her daughter," Regina answered.

"Should I sharpen my sword?"

"It wouldn't hurt," Rhiannon added.

They all turned to the Celtic woman and laughed. They had no idea what tomorrow would bring, but they all knew that same thing. Tomorrow, they would face it together.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Bridget didn't ask her any questions as they entered their apartment. She watched Bevin throw herself on the couch and sigh. She continued into the kitchen, set their bags down on the kitchen table and made her way to the fridge. She pulled open the door with anger. As she tried to calm herself, she selected two Guinness and closed the fridge. She popped the tops on the wall mounted bottle opener and walked back into their common room. She handed one of the Guinness to Bevin and then sat in her Lay-Z Boy. She watched her roommate as she slowly drank the beer, still not talking and letting her anger and worry flow off of her like waves. Finally, Bridget couldn't take it anymore.

"Say something," Bridget told her.

"Something," Bevin replied with her thick Irish lilt.

"You know that isn't what I meant. Have you calmed down somewhat? You were a little scary there for a minute on the way home," she told her.

"I know. I am sorry for that. I just...I didn't want him to figure it out."

"How Could he? He thought that you were telling him the story as you know it. You never mentioned that you were bearing the marks and such. We were careful. I told you when your hair started showing and you stopped running your fingers through your hair. I mean, I know the guy is brilliant when it comes to history, but do you really think that he understood why we were asking?"

"No, I guess not."

"You still want to color your hair?"

"We got the dye, didn't we? It is better to be safe than sorry. Plus, this will help me."

"How?" Bridget asked clearly confused.

"I can pretend that this isn't happening to me. I need to have some sort of normalcy in my life right now. I just found out that I am some sort of Celtic mythological hero. How do you think that makes me feel? How would you feel?"

"I see your point. Sorry. I...didn't think about it that way. I'm sorry, Bevin. Come on. We'll do your hair and then we'll figure this out somehow."

"I know we will. I have faith in us. It is me that I am worried about."

"Why is that? What's changed? Did something else happen that you didn't tell me?"

"No...no, not yet, but I am sure that there will be more to come. How can there not be? I am supposed to bring about the return of Avalon. There has to be some sort of craziness involved in that, right?"

"I am sure that there is."

"Then let's do this and figure out what it is. Maybe, if I have an idea of what is to come, I won't be so upset about it. Maybe I can do something to help it along or something. We have no idea what the time table is for it. All we know right now is that I am the Sorcha and Avalon will be reborn," Bevin explained, standing up and walking towards the kitchen with her empty beer bottle in hand.

Bridget watched her as she threw the bottle in the recycling. She watched as Bevin turned around, a forced smile on her face, before her eyes rolled hack and she screamed, collapsing on the floor. Bridget was in the kitchen trying to catch her before she hit the floor.

She managed to keep Bevin from hitting her head on the floor. She cradled her head against her lap as she tried assessing her condition. She could see Bevin's erratic breathing, but her heartbeat seemed to be slaying steady. Bridget was a little flustered and she didn't know what to do. The scream had been enough to worry her, but was the fact that Bevin's eyes rolled before she collapsed that worried her greatly. It was the combination of the day and Bevin's condition in the situation that actually frightened her to the point that she wanted to call for help. The only thing was she didn't know who to call. She wondered who she could even call. Who would understand what was going on? No one.

"Bevin" she asked, trying to get her conscious again.

She stirred in Bridget arms. She sat up and stared at the wall. She didn't say anything for a good while, but Bridget was content that she was awake and sitting up. Bevin could feel the worry radiating off of Bridget, but she didn`t acknowledge it.

"I'm okay. I think. Can you get mc some water?"

Bridget was in the cabinet grabbing a glass and filling it from the tap before Bevin finished the question. She took Bevin's hand and placed the glass in it. She downed the glass and then handed it back to Bridget, who filled it again if she wanted more.

Bevin sat on the floor for a minute longer. She knew that she needed to get up. She knew that Bridget was worried about her und she probably had some questions about had happened. She also knew that she didn't know what to tell Bridget. She couldn't explain something that she didn't understand herself.

She figured that it was time to tell Bridget about the dreams. She knew that the dreams caused the headaches and that the headaches caused her to pass out. What she didn't understand about them was how calm she stayed while, during and after having them. It just didn't make any sense.

"Bridget. I am alright. I'll be fine," she told her as she stood up. "It was just a flash headache or I stood up too fast. I promise that I'll be okay. Don't worry about it."

"How can you say that?"

"How can I say what?"

"How can you tell me not to worry? Bevin, you just passed out. I don't care the reason. It isn't normal and we need to be careful. I don't want you to get hurt. We need to figure out what is going on with you. You know, besides being the Celtic hero or whatever." Bridget stated trying to lighten the mood.

"I know."

"What aren't you telling mc now?" Bridget asked, cocking her head.

She could hear it in Bevin's voice. There was something she was hiding something important. She hated the fact that they were so close sometimes. They knew when the other was lying and right now.

Bridget knew that Bevin was hiding something. Normally she wouldn't push, but they didn't have that luxury anymore. If it had to do with the stories, then Bridget knew that she needed to know so she could help Bevin, so she could be ready for what was to come, and so she could understand what was happening. She watched her sit at the kitchen table with the glass of water. Bridget joined her at the table and waited for her to tell her something, anything.

"I need to explain something. And, before you ask, I don't have all the answers. I am going into this as blind as you are as an outsider. I just have stories to base anything on, and they're just lore really."

"Well explain away. I can take it. I was doing research while we were at the library, too, remember?"

"Did you find anything useful?" Bevin asked.

"Uh-uh, you tell me everything that you know first and then, I'll tell you what I found out."

"Bridget!"

"Bevin."

"If you found out something, you should tell me." Bevin told her.

"I am not telling you anything until you tell me what you already know."

"Fine. I'll tell you what I know, just know that is only lore to me. I don't know that I ever believed any of it, well, until now. I never had reason to understand."

"I do. Now, spill it. We need to get it out in the open," Bridget explained.

"I think that I've put together from what Seamus told us that I supposed to be a descendant of Morgan La Fay. I guess that means that I am an heir to Avalon. That is immaterial about the rest. The only thing that it could possibly prove is that I am a legitimate heir to the throne of Avalon, for whatever that is worth. Avalon is gone. It doesn`t exist, if it ever did. But, like I said, that isn't where my stories start. You heard what I told Seamus though, about what my Granddadda told me. It was the short version, but it bore most of the lore." Bevin started.

"Yeah, I remember. A girl with red hair and blue eyes would be marked as the Sorcha and the banshees will tell her of her fate lo Avalon. Do you think that your Granddadda was trying to tell you that you were the Sorcha?"

"I don't know and that worries me. If he was, then I have been a fool. If he wasn't, then I know who the Sorcha is and l would have to serve them as a loyal subject. I think that the tattoos are a good indication to the former rather than the latter, though" Bevin stated.

"I tend agree with you on that. Your hair isn`t helping either. It is getting redder underneath. Are you sure that dying it is the best recourse right now?"

"No. I am not, but I don't feel like I have any other choice at the moment."

"Why is that?"

"Supposedly the new Pendragon is supposed to find mc, when he docs the marks will start to appear."

"Yeah, so?"

"The marks started after we got home from the NCAA Equestrian Championships."

"He was there?"

"He must have been." Bevin stated.

"Who do you think it is?"

"I have no idea. That is the least of my worries. I need to focus on maintaining a low profile. There are still those who want the destruction of Avalon, no matter its form. I can't allow that, not now."

"You're acting as if Avalon is real," Bridget stated.

"I think that my sudden transformation proves that it is in some form. It may not be known as Avalon now, but can we honestly deny what is happening to me isn't related to it? I can't. I won't."

"I am not saying that you should, but I am saying that we should research it more. We need to find out what else you may be facing. I am not saying that this is going to be an easy task, but now. I know more than I should so I am not leaving you to do this on your own."

"I know that."

"Then, let's see what else we can find out."

"I should call my Granddadda."

"I guess you should. He may be able to tell you more and you'll understand it now. I am not trying to push you into it, but we know that he knows more than he told you before. He is our best option."

"I am not doubling that. What I am afraid that he is going to do is try to convince me that I need to come back to Kildaire so he'll tell me what I want to know. I don't think that we have time for that. It seems that there is a time line and it is motion. We need to figure out what that time line is."

"I know."

"Did you find anything else during your research while I was talking to Dr. Seamus?" Bevin asked.

"Not any more than he could tell you. It seems that is a guarded lore of the Irish people. There are hints of it in the mythology, but nothing concrete. It seems that even for the mythology it is mythology."

"Great."

"I know, but I did start to try to research your tattoos."

"Did you get anything with that?"

"A little," Bridget replied.

"Like what?"

"Some of the symbols that you have were in the Book of Kells and could be identified as animal motifs. Some of them were ogham, or early Celtic writings that only the Druids knew how to read. I tried to decipher some of the words, but I didn't get very far before we left."

"What did you get?"

"The Sorcha is the bringer of the light."

"Really?"

"Yes, that's all I got."

"Which arm says that?" Bevin asked.

"Your left arm bears that phrase. Most of the ogham is on your left arm. It also seems to be the one that more heavily covered with the tattoos. Do you want mc to try to find out about the rest?"


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Regina followed Emma up to their room. She could still feel the anger rolling off of her, but she knew better than to try and stop Emma's anger. It would do neither of them any good. She knew that Emma would be angry with her. She knew that she should have told her before they went through with everything but she knew that Emma would try to stop her out of some misguided reasoning that she would be saving her.

She sat down on the foot of the bed and waited. She stared at the master bathroom door and waited for Emma to come out. She didn't have to wait long for Emma to come out. She watched as Emma stopped in the doorway.

Emma came to a halt, her hand still on the light switch. She stared over at the bed, trying to be angry with Regina, but softening as soon as she saw Regina's lavender eyes. Her green eyes tried to be hard and angry, but even Emma knew that things were different with Regina. She could see it on her face, in her eyes, in her expression.

"I'm still not happy," Emma told her.

"I know."

"You didn't tell me. Why? Why couldn't you tell me?" Emma asked, starting to break down.

"Because I knew that you would try to stop me with some halfcocked plan to try find another way," Regina answered matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, well, you didn't give me the chance," Emma replied.

"I know."

"Do you trust me?" Emma asked.

"With every fiber of my being," Regina told her.

"But-"

"Emma, I know that you are angry with me. You have every right to be, Dear. Please, understand that I didn't tell you because I knew that you would try to find another was to try to save me. It wouldn't have worked and I would still have a blackened soul. The only way for me to be relieved of my pain was to die. I knew that it would be hard for you to hear, much less witness. I have seen Rhiannon do the magic before. I knew that it would take. I knew that it would work. I knew that I wouldn't fail," Regina explained.

"But, you asked Snow to help you. She's my mother. She killed your mother. Your hatred for her drove you for years and then all of the sudden, you give her the power over your life. That is just plain insane," Emma stated.

"I know that, Dear, that is why it had to be your mother."

"I still don't get it."

"It was a way for us to redeem each other. In her murderous actions towards me, I would forgive her everything that she ever did. Her helping me die by killing me was an act of mercy by your mother. In her act of mercy, she earned my forgiveness and I proved to her that I was willing to die for you and for Henry. She saw the depth of love that I bear for you both. It wasn't a light decision for either of us."

"You still should have told me."

"I know."

"I…it isn't fathomable what you two did. I mean you drowned at the hands of my mother. Rhiannon used some potion to bring you back to life. Your eyes are this crazy but beautiful color of purple. And, to top it all off, you are now friends with my mother, who was your greatest enemy. But, regardless of all that, I am supposed to be happy about it because it earned my mother's blessing and your pardon," Emma responded.

"Well…yes, Dear, that about sums it up."

"Unbelievable."

"What is, Dear?"

"You are both still planning my life and I'm a fucking adult. I should have had some say in this. I should have…it wasn't fair."

"I know."

"Did you even think about what this would do to me?"

"Yes, Dear, I did. That is why I didn't tell you. That is the reason that I told your mother to help me send you away so that we could accomplish what had to be done. I did everything for you."

"Don't say that. Don't you tell me that. You can't sit there and tell me that," Emma stated as she crossed the room to face Regina face to face.

Regina stood up, knowing that Emma wanted a fight. She knew that Emma was angry, but she knew why. She was waiting for Emma to yell and scream at her. She was waiting for Emma's wrath and when it didn't come, she looked up trying to figure out why.

Emma was standing before her, looking utterly defeated. It was breaking her heart to see Emma like this. It was her fault and she understood that. She just wanted Emma to do something. She wanted her to take her frustration out on something. She couldn't take the hurt look in her eyes.

"Do you want to yell at me, Dear?"

"Would it do any good? I doubt it. You…I just…I understand…I…gah…I am supposed to be your partner…in everything. I chose you. I stayed here because of you. I have done everything for you and Henry. You are all I think about with every decision that I make. You didn't even give me that luxury. You just went and died. You think that I'm just going to be okay with that. There is so much wrong with that, I don't even know where to begin," Emma told her.

Regina stood up and pulled Emma into her. She embraced her as hard as she could, trying to make Emma understand how much she actually cared for her. She tried to push her love into Emma. She felt Emma slump into her before going rigid. She didn't let go. It just made her more determined to make Emma feel her emotions, to feel how much she cared and to get Emma to let her anger go.

"Where is Henry?" Emma asked changing the line of conversation.

"He went with your parents back to the loft."

"And, Red and Rhiannon?"

"Ruby took Rhiannon home with her to Granny's. She knew that we would need some alone time. Snow called her after you ran upstairs. They gave us the house to ourselves so we could yell at each other. They didn't want Henry to hear it," Regina offered.

"How very civil of them," Emma muttered.

"I think it was more for your well-being than his. He knows that we disagree. He has heard and seen it before. Tonight would be no different. I think they didn't want you to feel like you had to hold it inside. I don't want you to, either. It wouldn't do anyone any good if you did."

"And, you would know?"

"Yes, I would. It is how we all got here to begin with. The war with your mother, the curse, my banishment here, it all has to do with me holding in my emotions and not letting them out. I never sought the solace of another. I never asked for help. I just dug deeper into the darkness and those around me, helped me further down that path."

"Regina…"

"I am not saying that you will do that, Dear. I know you won't, but bottling your emotions up will do nothing but make you moody and unpleasant. Yes, it will affect your magic because emotion has a big part in them, but you are the product of true love. You deserve so much more than just an ordinary happy ending. You deserve the love and adoration that made you into being. I took that away from you as a child and I mean to give it back to you."

"Regina…" she started. It was more of whisper, but the anger and pain could still be heard. It wasn't a plea to stop talking, but more of warning, a silent growl that Regina had come to know Emma capable of making. She turned and saw the tears of anger in her eyes, but Regina didn't stop. She couldn't. She needed to clear the air with Emma.

"I am the reason that you have looked for love, home, and family. I took from you the one thing that I so desperately wanted and I didn't even know that I was. I hurt you before I knew who you were. Your pain, all of it, is my fault. If I hadn't enacted the curse, you would have grown up with your family in the Enchanted Forest. You would have known love and family. You would have had a home. You would have been happy. I took that away from you. I can't…"

"Shut up, woman," Emma growled, her green eyes dancing as she watched Regina.

Before Regina could utter another word, Emma took her mouth. She ate at Regina's mouth, hungry for something they both wanted. They wanted to feel love and feel like they belonged in a family. Emma was angry and her mouth betrayed her want and desire for the woman she was kissing. She bit at Regina's lips as she kissed her hard.

Regina knew that Emma was trying to make her point and so she let her. She didn't stop Emma when her hands forced her against the bed. She didn't stop her, when Emma mounted her hips and tore open her silk blouse. She didn't stop her because she knew that her body could be the balm that Emma needed to heal the wounds that she had caused.

Emma tore her mouth from Regina's and stared into her darkened purple eyes. She was looking for something in them and Regina did everything in her power to convey her love back to Emma. Emma's hand wandered over her torso, grazing and scratching her flawless olive skin. She watched the paleness of her hands against Regina's body and couldn't help but laugh.

Regina looked up at her, questioningly, but said nothing as Emma continued to touch her.

"The light and the dark," Emma stated, as she bent over to suck on Regina's neck.

Regina could feel her brows knit in question, but still she said nothing. She was enjoying Emma's lips on her throat. She normally would have cared about Emma marking her in such a visible place, but right now, she would let Emma do whatever she wanted to her body as long as it made Emma feel better. She would take the punishment, gladly, if only to see Emma smile.

"Yin and yang," Emma murmured against the base of her neck as she moved the kiss down.

Regina was still confused, but her mind was giving over to the pleasure that Emma was taking. She tried to stop thinking about what Emma was saying and more about what she was doing to her body. She decided that she had lain still long enough and that she needed to join in the fun.

"No," Emma told her, pushing her hands away and staring into her eyes.

"But-" Regina finally stated.

Emma didn't respond with words but actions. She kept Regina's hands from her body as she tore the destroyed blouse from Regina's. She made quick work of the black lace bra and threw it across the room. She shoved Regina back on the bed. Not allowing her time to comfortable, she clawed at the belt buckle, button and zipper of Regina's slacks. Once they were sufficiently out of Emma's way, so were the pants. Regina heard them hit a wall across the room.

She looked up into Emma's eyes. The pain was still there, but lust was hovering close behind. She tentatively reached out and touched Emma's cheek. She leaned into her hand briefly before pushing it away. Regina wanted to cry, but she didn't. She had caused this. She would take it.

Emma raked her eyes over Regina's body, a body that had given her so much pleasure in the past few years. She could feel the magic swirling in her blood. She didn't want to hurt Regina, but she needed a release. She needed to feel…and she needed to punish. It was a thin line and Emma knew that. She was amazed at how far Regina has already let her go. She could see the questions in her eyes, but she also saw Regina's approval.

Emma slowly touched Regina's stomach. Her fingers mapping the flesh for her mind. She heard Regina's slight hitch in breath followed by the slow release of a sigh. It didn't stop her determination. She felt the goosebumps forming under her knowing fingers. She felt Regina's body respond to her touch and it did nothing but spur her on towards her goal, even if she didn't know what that was at the moment.

Emma's hand ghosted down Regina towards her core. Regina leaned into it. Emma watched her eyes looking for some sort of disdain or discord, but only found love. Emma's heart was breaking inside her every time she met Regina's eyes. The love that she bore for Emma was more than Emma thought was possible. They had saved each other on so many occasions that Emma began to wonder if this wasn't another test between them. Could they possibly resist each other if they tried? She didn't think that they could anymore. There was just too much between them. There was too much entwined between them.

"Emma?" Regina asked, noting the pause in Emma's movements.

Emma found herself. She shook her head and continued with her downward moment. She looked at Regina again as she shredded her underwear from her hips. Regina arched up to help her, but also to feel Emma against her. The warmth of Regina's skin under Emma's hand drove Emma's progression. She moved slightly over her center and felt the flutters of Regina's muscles beneath her fingers as she came closer to her apex.

"Emma…"

Emma broke a little more and pushed herself into Regina's wetness. She heard the audible gasp escape Regina's mouth as she her body bucked up under Emma's weight. Regina enjoyed every minute of Emma's skin tight jeans rubbing against her naked flesh as Emma ravaged her body. She could hear the litany of sighs and pleas for Emma to continue falling ungraciously from her mouth. Emma ate every word up and spurred onward.

"Emma…"

Emma turned her fingers upward inside Regina. She felt Regina close around her and heard her screams as Regina came undone beneath her. She held onto her as she soared and then came crashing down beneath her. Emma watched as the aftershocks continued to fuel the passion in Regina's body. She was mesmerized with Regina's eyes as they opened. They weren't lavender. They were brown and full of want, need, desire, and passion. Regina stared up into Emma's eyes as they finally softened.

"Regina…"

"Emma, hush," she commanded as she flipped them over and put Emma on her back.

Emma looked up at her, but said nothing. She just looked up at Regina's face watching the love that she was trying convey. She finally smiled and Regina returned it.

"You will always be my light, Emma. You balance me more than you know. I am the darkness to your light. I am the evil to your good, but together we have found that we need each other."

"We do."

"I know that, Dear. And, that is why I had to die. I knew that I would come back for you. I knew that I would live again…for you. You are my other half. You are my true love. We cannot simply live without each other," Regina told her.

"Yin and yang," Emma replied.

"Light and dark, Love, light and dark," Regina stated, kissing her thoroughly and with a passionate abandonment that Emma had never felt before today.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Regina woke the next morning alone. She was a little surprised, but she wasn't as devastated as she thought she might be. She dressed quickly and grabbed her robe before heading downstairs. She hadn't crossed the landing to the stair way when she smelled pancakes. She smiled. She knew that Emma only made pancakes on the weekend. It was her thing, something that she had started with Henry when she moved in years ago. It seemed odd that Emma would be cooking pancakes that early and on a Monday, but Henry was home for Spring Break.

Regina was further surprised when she walked in her kitchen to find Snow at her stove and not Emma. She arched an eyebrow at Snow, who as always smiled in response but gave no verbal answer. Regina did a quick glance at the breakfast table. She found David, Henry, Ruby, the twins and Rhiannon all sitting down. The girls had tall glasses of milk and the adults, including Henry, Regina thought begrudgingly, had coffee. Emma was not at the table.

When David's eyes met hers, Regina looked down. She wasn't proud of what happened, but she had earned Snow's blessing. She knew that David and Emma were going to the hardest to convince that the situation was okay and that it had been for the best for both of them. Emma had inherited David's sensibility to "light gray" thinking, as Regina called it. His blue eyes betrayed his feelings, but to his credit, he didn't say anything.

"Morning," he told her, nodding and saluting her with his cup of coffee.

Henry turned around to see Regina and smiled. He was beaming at her. She gave him a questioning look, but said nothing to him. He got up from the table and walked over to where she was standing at the island watching Snow cook. He gathered her in a tight hug.

"She's upset, Mom. She'll be okay. She went for a run," he told her like he knew everything that had happened the night before.

She looked down into her son's hazel eyes and saw his love for her. She smiled at him and nodded. At least he knew where his other mother was. He had always been a good catalyst between them when they were angry with each other.

"How many pancakes would you like, Regina?" Snow asked her bringing her out of her reverie.

"Two will be plenty, dear," she replied.

She walked over to her giant stainless refrigerator and pulled out the OJ. She poured herself a tall glass and returned the pitcher of the OJ back to the fridge. She took a long drink of it before walking back around the island to perch over the bar and stare at Snow, cooking at her stove. The move didn't bother Snow, who continued to cook the pancakes on the griddle irons she'd found and was starting to scramble some eggs in another skillet.

She watched the effortless movements of her step-daughter in her kitchen. Normally it would have made Regina angry to see this, but she knew that was too tired to fight and she was trying to be better. They had forgiven each other. She needed to learn not to be so harsh with Snow anymore. It was going to be a learning process, but she was determined to make this new life that she had work. She wasn't going to let old habits and grudges run her life again.

Snow served her a plate and placed it in front of her. She looked up into Snow's hazel brown eyes and smiled in thanks. She didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry," Snow started, low enough for her to hear but no one else.

"For what, my dear?"

"For taking over your kitchen. Granny's was closed but we knew that you could accommodate us all before we made the jump. I hope that it is okay. We really didn't want to bother you while you were sleeping. I know that you had a long night with Emma, but Henry suggested it."

"I am sure he did."

"Are…you two alright?" Snow asked.

"As well as we can be considering," Regina replied.

"She'll come around."

Regina took a forkful of eggs and ate them. She looked up into Snow's eyes. Snow handed her the syrup, still smiling. Regina didn't know if she could handle having a relationship with her step-daughter and family due to their infuriating and constant optimism.

"She will. You'll see. She'll come around."

"I have no doubt about that. I not worried about how she feels right now. I worried about Henry. Today is his day. I don't want anything to ruin it."

"It won't. I promise. We have everything under control back at the palace. The gown makers are waiting for you and Emma. David is going to take Henry to the tailor's to have his readied."

"I could just wear something I already have, Snow. I don't need another ball gown. I never wear them twice," Regina told her.

"Nonsense, you can never have too many. Besides, everything that you have left is black. You don't want to wear black to his birthday, do you?" Snow questioned.

"No, I guess not."

"Wait, I know."

"What?"

"Do you still have that dress from the engagement party that …. Never mind. Forget that."

"I do. But, I will not wear it. You can have it if you want," Regina offered.

"I couldn't."

"If you would like it, you can have it, Snow. I have no need for it, nor do I want it. I am sure that I can have it sent to you. Rework the bodice if you like; I am sure that it would look good on you. You have the…shape for it. I do not."

"Regina, just forget it. You can burn it if you want. I am sure that you don't want to be reminded of…what happened," Snow told her.

"Amazingly, that is the only dress that survived the entire ordeal. It was the only thing that reminded me that one day, I could have my happiness, again. It is both a reminder and a goal."

"I understand."

"I will see your dress maker, but I do not promise to wear anything that they make."

"Fair enough, Regina. There is one other thing that I would like to discuss with you in private, if we may. I am not sure that you want others to hear, yet," Snow suggested.

"Can it wait, dear? I am a little out of sorts and don't feel like dealing with politics right now. How about we discuss it before lunch? We could do it while they are working on Emma's gown. I am sure that you won't want to miss that," Regina told her.

"Fine. That sounds good," Snow stated, looking at her family, all of it in Regina's kitchen eating breakfast like it was a normal thing and smiled. "She'll be back soon. You'll be okay."

Regina wanted to share her sentiment but she knew that she'd hurt Emma. She knew that she had been selfish but she couldn't see any other way around it. She had to prove to herself that she didn't need Emma. She was strong enough to be on her own if she needed to be. She realized that she was kidding herself. She needed Emma like the plants needed rain. Emma was her sunshine and rainbows. She was her "happily ever after." Emma was Regina's true love and she knew of no greater power than that.

Regina was taking her plate to the sink to prewash it before putting in the dishwasher when Emma came in. She turned around in time to take the questioning look in Emma's eyes before they glossed over, hiding her emotions. She watched as Emma kissed Henry's head before scruffing up his hair. She kissed her sisters on the cheek and then her father. She met Snow at the stove and took a hug. Snow kissed her on the cheek and whispered something in her ear. Regina saw the flash in Emma's eyes, but noted that Emma nodded in response.

"How much longer until we jump?" Regina asked, breaking the family silence.

"About an hour and half, I think," David replied.

"Well, I need to get ready. Help yourselves to the pantry for snacks, if you want to take any that you can't find there. You all packed and ready, Henry?" Regina asked him.

"Yeah, Mom, all ready."

"Good, don't forget any homework that you may have, either."

"I know, Mom. I got it, too. Not that I'll be able to do much without the internet."

"True, but we might be able to find a way," Regina told him as she left.

She didn't hear Rhiannon follow her out. Frankly, she didn't care. She wanted to hold Emma again. She wanted to kiss her and promise her that everything would be alright. That nothing had really changed. That she wouldn't be using magic for evil, just for good, whatever that was.

"How long are you going to be gone?" Rhiannon asked.

"We, including you, will be gone no longer than two days' time here. It might feel like a week to you while we are there. Time is different, but you know that."

"I don't understand why I have to go," Rhiannon stated.

"Because I am not leaving you here alone. Besides, you'll be with me. We can search the libraries and my old palace. I am sure that we can find something that will help us with your endeavor. Just think of it as a working vacation," Regina told her.

"I don't know what that means."

"It means that we are going to play but work at the same time. We are going to celebrate my son's birth. I am sure that Snow has some grand ball planned to show him off to the kingdom. We are going to dance, have fun and celebrate today and tonight. Tomorrow we will begin the hunt for your daughter. My powers will be greater once we jump. I'll have a better sense of what I need to do to aid you in this quest. It will work out, Rhiannon, I promise."

"It seems that you have gained the Charming Optimism, Regina. I must admit. It does look good on you. I will go with you, but as for the ball, I have nothing to wear."

"Nonsense, you are a queen, Rhiannon. I am sure that we can find a gown befitting your station. I am sure that Snow will have no problem getting you in to the gown makers before this evening. Trust me; they are some high spirited elves. Even you, being High Born, will be surprised at their speed and efficiency," Regina told her.

"We shall see," Rhiannon answered as they parted ways to get ready for the day.

Emma pulled a stool up to the bar and watched her mother. She hadn't said two words to Regina when she came back in from her run. She hadn't even kissed her. She saw the hurt look in her eyes, which she was glad had returned to the natural color, but she didn't do anything about it. She went into the fridge and poured herself a glass of orange juice and then sat back down.

Snow watched her daughter and picked up on the mannerisms that Emma had learned from Regina. It was funny to watch her daughter in her step-mother's house, knowing that they were together, but it didn't bother Snow as much as she thought it would. She knew that Emma was happy with Regina, even when she was mad at her. She could only wonder how long she was going to let this burn before she blew up and they made up. They were both volatile and Snow could see it. She figured that they would be at each other's throats by now, if things had been totally the same, but she knew that they weren't. She could see the difference in Regina's eyes earlier. She could see it, now, in Emma's.

"Go to her."

"What?" Emma asked, as she ate some pancakes.

"She is still hurting."

"From what?"

"Everything, Emma. Just because I forgave her, doesn't mean that she had forgiven herself. Believe me. She had changed. I have can see it. She reminds of the girl that saved me, the young woman that was my step-mother briefly. Like you, her childhood was…complicated. The darkness surrounded her from her birth. She gave into it because it was the only thing that she knew. She couldn't escape her mother or Rumpelstiltskin. They made her."

"I know that, Mom," Emma replied over another forkful of food.

"She is trying to be the person that she was before Daniel died. She is trying to be better. Do you know why? Can you see it?" Snow asked her.

"She told me that it was for me, because she loved me."

"She does. If you look into her eyes, Emma, you can see it. I know that you love her, too."

"I do."

"Then, why are you punishing her? If anyone should be punishing Regina, it should be me. I am not. I have forgiven her and now, so should you."

"But, Mom," Emma started.

"No, buts, Emma, either you love her for who is or you don't. I happen to know that she is your true love. How could she not be? You two are perfect for each other. Now, go upstairs. Tell her your sorry and that you love her and make things right. If you don't, you'll both be unhappy and we don't want that tonight, do we?" Snow asked.

"I guess not."

"You know I am right."

"So?"

"Why are you acting like a sullen teen-ager?"

"Because I can."

"Grow up, Emma, or you might lose the one thing that you have fought to keep."

"Yeah, and what's that?"

"Your family," Snow said, matter-of-factly as she turned to the sink to do the dishes, leaving Emma with her mouth agape staring at the back of her head.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Bevin laid down on the couch in the living room and watched as Bridget continued to research the writings on her arms. It was a little odd that her roommate was so calm about this, but she didn't question it. Her mind was racing enough as it was. She knew that Bridget was a calm-under-pressure kind of person, which she was extremely grateful for right now.

"Bridget?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think that I should call me Granddadda now?"

"That's up to you. I know that he may know more than he told you. I think that he held back, hoping that this day wouldn't come in his lifetime. I think that he truly does love you like you are his own grandchild. How could he not? He did raise you."

"I wasn't exactly an obedient child," Bevin stated.

"No, but you were his ward. He had to have some sort of feelings for you to take care of you all those years, no? I know that you think it might have been out of duty if he is truly from a Banshee family, but that is only part of it. He took you in and gave you a back story, a life that made him an integral part of it. He did what he thought was necessary to protect you from whatever forces forced you to our world."

"You say that like it is truth," Bevin replied.

"Do the tattoos on your arms mean nothing to you? Do the stories that you've heard for years mean nothing to you now? What about the other changes? Your hair? The headaches? Can you just easily dismiss them because it is easier than believing?"

"I guess not. I just don't know what to believe anymore. A few weeks ago, I was a normal college student. Today, I am some sort of Celtic folk hero of legend that has to save the day somehow. Unfortunately, I don't know what I am supposed to do or where I am supposed to do it. All I do know is that I bear the title of Sorcha," she answered.

"We are still looking into that, Bevin. Don't despair. We are going to figure this out."

"Before I die?"

"We don't know that you are going to die. You heard what Seamus told you. You get a king for a boyfriend. Come on, Bevin. You get to live every girl's dream. You are some sort of princess. Can you imagine the good that you could do with your power?"

"Yeah, that all sounds bloody wonderful to you, but I am not royal here on Earth. My kingdom doesn't exist here. Do you think that the bloody Queen of England is going to meet me just because I have some ridiculous title? I doubt it. They would arrest me and throw away the key. I would end in up some asylum without light. I would be destroyed. "

"Well, there is that. But, come on, we could have some fun with this. You have to look on the bright side of things."

"Why?"

"You are the 'bright one' after all," Bridget responded with a goofy smile on her face.

"I guess I am," Bevin replied, starting to laugh.

"Call your Granddadda and see what he has to say. I am sure that there is something useful he could tell us. I'll keep looking into the writing on your arms. It might tell us some secret, too."

"I just want normal back," Bevin stated.

"Don't we all. But, then again, what is normal? Can you answer that?" Bridget asked as she turned back around to her computer and searches.

Bevin lay there on the couch and stared at the couch. She dug out her cell phone. She pulled up the number for her Granddadda. Her finger hovered over the call button. She sighed and hit the button. She waited for two rings before she heard his voice.

"Hallo, Bevin," he told her.

"Hallo, Granddadda."

"Are yae coming home, gurl?"

"Tell me where home is," she demanded.

"Here in Kildaire."

"No, Granddadda, my real home."

She heard him sigh. She could imagine him pinching the bridge of his nose like he did when he got frustrated with her. She heard him take a deep breath and let it out before speaking again.

"_Tir Nan Og nó Avalon, a ghlacadh do Pioc cailín. Má tá tú a iarraidh, ansin a fhios agat cheana féin an freagra. Do marcanna a insint do scéal, cailín. Beidh siad cabhrú leat níos mó ná mar a raibh mé riamh_," he replied.

"Why do you always do that?"

"Yae need to know your own language?"

_"Liom a dhéanamh thuiscint."_

"Do yae, gurl? Do yae? You don't even begin to understand it."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I couldnae. You have to know that. I did what I could to prepare you for this, but I am afraid that there is no real preparation that could have been made here. Are you remembering anything?"

"What does that mean?"

"Do you remember anything before living with us?"

"No."

"Then the spells are still working."

"Bloody Hell. What aren't you telling me? Granddadda, what do I need to know about this?"

"I've told you the stories. I told you what you needed to know. Did you not listen, gurl?"

"I listened to folk stories and legends, not my personal history. How was I supposed to know that I was some character in Irish legend? It isn't like you looked at me at night and told me that I was. I just thought that they were stories and nothing more. Now, I am in one. So please, let's cut through all the bullshit and tell me what I need to know."

"_Labhartha cosúil le Banríona fíor_."

"So, then I do have a crown somewhere?"

"I dunno. I have never seen it. I only know what I was told when you were giving to me."

"When I was giving to you?"

"Yah, gurl, you've lived for quite some time. _Cosanta ó dhaoine ar mian leo a ghlacadh do choróin. Folaithe ó do mháthair féin. Folaithe ó do ríocht féin ag na páistí de Morgan la Fae. _I did as others have done before me."

"How long?"

"How long what?"

"How long have I been here?"

"With me?"

"No, here if Avalon is my home. How long have I been in this realm? How long have I been hidden?" she asked him, the tears starting to form in her eyes.

"I dunno exactly, but you've only been with me for six years."

"I have only been with your for six years."

"Aye, gurl. You are sent to be with another family to maintain your age range when it gets to be too hard for you. Sometimes you awaken and remember. Other times, the marks appear."

"This has happened before?"

"Not the magnitude that it is now."

"Bullocks. What are you not telling me? What is it that I need to know now? What can help me get through this? Help me, Granddadda."

"I cannae help you any more, gurl. The spell has broken. Something has triggered it and it cannae be redone. I can only tell the recipe for some a tea that might make it easier for you to hide the markings and your hair. You've been blessed with Fae magic, but it doesn't work the same here. Everything that was done to do you was done for your protection. You have to believe that, gurl, if you believe nothing else I ever told you," he explained.

"Tell me one thing," she stated.

"Anything that I can," he replied.

"Did you ever love me?"

Bridget spun around in her chair and watched the emotions flowing over Bevin's face. She was pushing the limits of normal acceptance as she began to believe the lore she had been told, but in doing so, Bevin realized that her entire life as she knew it was a lie. She needed to make peace with that. She needed to ground herself in some belief and they both knew that he was the only one who could do that for her, now.

"Aye, Bevin, I still do. You will always be a part of my family. I don't care who you are or were. You will always be my Bevin."

The tears fell freely from her eyes. She didn't even bother trying to wipe them away. It was in that moment that she knew that she needed him. He was and always would be her Granddadda, all others be damned.

_"Is breá liom tú, freisin."_

"Is there anything that you can remember from your past? Anything at all? I don't know where to start with your story, gurl. Yae've had a long journey and I don't know what you actually know or remember. Is there anything?"

Suddenly a blinding pain came over Bevin. She held onto the phone like it was a lifeline to her past as images of past lives flashed through her head at a rapid speed. She couldn't pick out anything per se that would give her any definite thoughts about her past. But, she could see things that she didn't know before. She could understand why she did things a certain way. She understood where dreams came from when they didn't make any other sense to her.

"Granddadda!" she shouted as her body convulsed on the couch.

Bridget was next to her in a flash. She tried to hold her down, but the pain and the memories caused Bevin to thrash and scream. Bridget just tried to keep her on the couch so she wouldn't get hurt. She didn't know what else to do.

"I'm still here for yae, gurl."

"A river?"

"A river?"

"Yes, a long flowing river. I was on a boat. The water started glowing green and blue and then nothing. I can't remember anything else after that except be handed a cup of tea, like Grandmamma gave me all the time," Bevin replied.

"Aye, gurl, you know that river well. And, the tea as well. You have never been farther from them then you are now in all of your life here."

"What river is it?"

_"Abhainn na Sionainne."_

"Shannon?"

"Aye, gurl, the River Shannon."

"What does it have to do with me?"

"It is the river you came to us on."

"Us?"

"Man," he replied.

"And the tea?"

"A brew that the Banshee families were taught."

"What is it for?"

"It is called Phoenix tea."

"What does it do to me?"

"It helps to bind your powers and keep your hidden from those who would try to destroy you."

"You sent me to school with some, didn't you?"

"I did."

"You knew that I would drink it," she accused him.

"I did."

"Why?"

"To protect you when I couldn't be there."

"From what?"

"Do you remember me telling you about a Fae woman named Mara?"

"Aye, I do. You told that tale as often as the mine own, now it seems. What of it?"

"They are related."

"How?"

"She is the only one who could find you and know who you were, even with us hiding you with magic and teas. She is from your realm. She will stop at nothing until she finds you."

"What did I do to her?"

"You survived."

"I survived what?"

"Don't you remember the story?" he asked.

"She was Rhiannon's lady-in-waiting or something like that."

"Aye, gurl, she was. Her husband was the best friend to King Pawl. Even though they were as close as kin to the family, they wanted their own child to rule. Fearing that you would be a boy, they moved against your father and mother. After you were born, your mother's own cousin, Birgit took you in and spirited you away. She is the reason that you are alive."

"Does my mother know?"

"I dunno, gurl. No one has seen Birgit or your mother in centuries. We don't even know if they are their real names. We don't know if they have the same powers that you do. If Birgit is alive, that would mean that she is…well, would be over two thousand years old."

"Which would make me?" Bevin asked.

"I believe if the stories are true about when you came here. You were around thirteen years old. So, that would make you somewhere in the neighborhood of nineteen hundred."


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Two chapters in one day...wow...don't get used to it. I will hopefully have more up this week. I hope that you are enjoying reading this as much as I am writing it. Please read and review.**

**Chapter 22**

Regina was in her closet trying to decide what to wear for the jump and trying to not to cry at Emma's lack of compassion. She knew after the night before that Emma wasn't done being mad. She couldn't really blame her, but she still wished that with Emma's "grey" thinking that she would have at least understood. She pushed through her power suits. She knew that they wouldn't be appreciated in the Enchanted Forest. She finally decided on a pair of jeans that probably hadn't seen the light of day in years.

If she had to go, at least she would be comfortable. She dug around further until she found her stash of generic, non-descript, but crazy expensive t-shirts. She would still look her best even if she would look mildly pedestrian. She laughed at herself. She could remove the woman from the kingdom, but not the Queen from the woman.

She laid her clothes out on the end of the bed. She sighed, hoping that Emma would have made it upstairs by now. She wanted to talk to her. She wanted Emma to realize that she loved her. She wanted to understand that she was trying. Hell, even, Snow saw that and was happy about it.

She sighed again and made her way into the bathroom. She turned the water on in her shower allowing all the jets to be on. She knew that it would be her last shower for a couple of days and she was going to take whatever time that she could to enjoy it. It was one of the few pleasures that this world had that Regina wondered if she could live without, or if she would just conjure one if they were forced back to her castle.

She entered the shower and let the jets wash over her. The almost scalding water felt wonderful as it rinsed away the pain and tension in her body. It wouldn't take care of her regret. She doubted that anything would ever truly do that for her. But, then it again, like she had said on Neverland: she regretted none of her past because it gave her Henry and in time, Emma, too.

She leaned further into the jets and hoped that her fears about Emma's anger would go away. She knew that last night was just a release for both of them. There was no real emotion between them. She knew that the love that they shared was not shared last night, no matter how much she wanted to show Emma she cared, Emma had taken her frustration out on Regina's body. It was a glorious and climatic orgasm, but it did nothing for Regina in the end except make her feel spent and fall asleep. It didn't nothing assuage the burning fear growing in her heart that Emma would finally see her like everyone else in town did. That she had finally overstepped the boundaries that they had put in place for her to be Regina and not the Evil Queen. Had she finally crossed over an invisible line that Emma had drawn in the sand? Had she lost Emma, now?

She let go of the wall to wipe away the tears from her face. She turned her face up into the spray of the overhead shower head, trying to let her worries flow away. She ran her hands over her head and through her hair several times, pushing her hair out of her face and the water away. She did this several times before leaning forward again. She knew that time was against her today and that she needed to wash herself before going back downstairs. She reached back to grab her shampoo and hit a body.

She didn't turn around. Instead her body went rigid. She didn't know who it was, but she was certainly hoping against hope that it was Emma. She didn't have to wait long for her answer.

"Regina?"

"Emma?"

Emma reached out to her and let her hand lazily run down her spine. It felt so different touching her now in the light of day than the pale of night. There was something different in her touch as well. She knew that Snow had been right. She had used Regina, in the worst possible way she could think of, the night before and now she was hurting her by not being her lover.

"I'm sorry."

She said it so quietly that Regina almost missed it. She turned around now, to face Emma. She was nude and her body was full of stress and anger. Regina could see it in the way her body was being held, the way her muscles were hanging, and the way that Emma's eyes looked. She wanted nothing more than to pull Emma into her own body. She was afraid. She was afraid to touch her, like Emma would break or dissolve if she tried.

"Regina, say something."

"I don't know what to say."

"Tell me you love me," Emma demanded.

"I love you, Emma. You know that. I have always loved you, in my own way, but I have always loved you for being you and not what anyone else thought you should be."

"I can't take back what happened."

"No, you can't, but I understand it."

"No, you don't. You can't know what seeing you like that did to me. You were dead, Regina. I saw you dead in our bed. There was no breath, no heartbeat, no life in your body."

"I wasn't leaving you."

"You did, if only for a second, you were gone. I could tell. It scared the shit out of me. I didn't know what to do. Your body was so cold. I wanted to scream. I wanted to yell. And, there is my mother, saintly Snow in the corner losing her mind because she killed you. My world was crashing around me and I couldn't do a damn thing to stop it. You were gone. My mother destroyed you and Ruby was tending to her. Rhiannon was tending to you. And, I was…I was…trying to figure out how I was going to tell our son that his grandmother killed you."

"You weren't meant to see any of that. I am sorry. You weren't supposed to know what happened until later. I was going to tell you. We were going to tell you, so that we could prepare Henry for the announcement," Regina told her.

"I was supposed to know that my own mother killed my lover and the mother of my son. How does that even sound like a good idea to you, Regina? And, what about your magic? How would you explain that?" Emma asked her, the anger building again.

"I didn't realize that in the moment that my magic broke free that it would send out pulses, like beckons for other creatures with magic to see. If I had, I wouldn't have done it in such a public place. I was just supposed to drown and then Rhiannon was going to bring me back. My magic would be unbound and all would be forgiven."

"Of course it would be. You made sure of that didn't you. You made sure that you would use Snow's own conscience against her. I could have handled it. I would have understood if you told me what was going to happen. I wouldn't have felt so…betrayed."

"I didn't want you to hurt."

"But, I did hurt. I still hurt. I didn't know what I was going to do, Regina," Emma replied as she sank to her knees in the shower.

Regina followed her down to the floor, finally giving into her urge to hold her. She gathered Emma into her arms and pulled her close to her chest. She took one of her hands and laid upon her heart so that Emma could feel her heart beating and know that she was still alive. She tried to convey as much as she could with her touch upon Emma's skin. She tipped her chin back and stared into the frightened and hurting viridian eyes. Her heart broke a little more inside and the pain that she was trying to spare Emma with her actions was causing them both more pain now.

"I'm sorry, my love. I never meant to hurt you, but I have a very uncanny knack of hurting those I love the most. Please don't leave me. I couldn't bear it if you did," Regina told her truthfully.

Emma stared into her chocolate eyes and felt her body soften in the arms of Regina. She buried her head into the crook of Regina's shoulder and let the sobs finally out. Regina just held her, knowing that there was nothing else she could do for Emma at the moment. She would have to come back to her on her own pace. She couldn't force her. She had wounded her and she would have to wait for the wound to heal. She knew that they would need some alone time when they could get it. Last night hadn't been near enough for either of them.

There was still so much left unsaid. There was still so much left unexplored between them. There was still so much pain between them. Pain that Regina took full blame for and she was desperately searching for a way to make it better. She just didn't know how. She had never had someone love her the way that Emma did. She had never been able to get this far into a relationship before… She shook her head knowing she couldn't think that way. She knew that she wanted to be with Emma forever. She wanted Emma and that was the only thing driving her anymore, besides her love for Henry. Emma gave her a reason to fight again. Emma gave her a reason to want to be free of the shackles she had created around her heart. Emma was her reason, that was all she knew and all she needed to know.

She tipped Emma's chin a little more. She softened her features so that her face would convey the overture of love that her words could not at the moment. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to do but love the woman in her arms with her entire being. She didn't know how to tell Emma that was what she was trying to do. She studied Emma's eyes, looking for permission to touch her again, to kiss her again, to be her lover again. When she saw a small spark flicker in her eyes before they softened to a light emerald color, a color that Regina knew all too well in pale darkness of the moonlight, she descended upon Emma's mouth.

The kiss was not rough. The kiss was not without feeling. Regina gave it every passionate and comforting thought that she could. Emma was slow to kiss her back, but when she did the ferocity behind it was mesmerizing for them both. When she tried to deepen the kiss, Regina let her. She knew that Emma would set their pace. When she broke the kiss, Regina was left breathless and wanting, but she understood the need to slow things down. She couldn't fault Emma's reluctance. She hadn't given her a reason to trust her `0063

"I'm sorry."

"For what, Dear?" Regina asked her.

"I shouldn't have done that last night."

"Emma, don't. You needed to feel…something, anything. I needed you. I needed you to see that I was still here for you. We both needed what happened. You weren't alone in what happened in our bed…together. I could have stopped you if I wanted."

"But, I wasn't easy with you. You might be able to hide the bruises from my parents and Henry, but I can still see them. I know that I am the one that caused them," Emma told her.

"You never hit me."

"No, but I was rough with you. I know that I hurt you. I know that…"

"You didn't do anything that I didn't like, Dear," Regina told her.

"But…"

"I told you that last night. You are my light, Emma. You help me stay grounded. Trust me, even in my weakened state, I could have stopped you if I wanted. We both needed it. Do not belittle it for worse than it was. We had angry sex. We didn't make love. We were just hooking up as you put it sometimes. We were finding solace in each other's body."

"We fucked," Emma said.

"Well, to be crass, yes, we fucked."

"We have never…not like that."

"Well, no, Dear, we haven't. We have come close to though on many occasions. I seem to remember our dalliance in Neverland. Now, that was fucking to put it mildly."

"That was the night I realized that I loved you."

"I know that, Dear."

"How could you?"

"Because it was the night that I realized that for all my hatred and anger, I loved you. You were the first person I thought about before I got up in the morning and the last person that I thought about before I went to bed. You became a drug that I couldn't get enough of and that I wanted to taste completely. I offered you my forbidden fruit, but I never thought that you would take it."

"I couldn't help myself. Gods, Regina, you are beautiful. It wasn't your beauty or your bounty that made me want you, though," Emma told her.

"Then what was it, Dear?"

"I wanted to frustrate you like you had been frustrating me on that Godforsaken island. I wanted you to feel what I was feeling. Then in the moment that you pissed me off that I made that fire. I used the magic to make the fire, I knew that you were the only one who understood what my life had been like. It wasn't all peaches and roses. It was thorns and ivy. It had been heartbreak and suffering. I could see it in your eyes. I could feel it wafting off of you like a perfume."

"You never said anything."

"I didn't need to. I knew that you knew. I knew that you understood. I knew that things would be difficult between you and Snow. Hell, they weren't all sunshine and rainbows for me. But, I saw a kindred spirit in you and I knew that you knew how grey the world really was and I loved you for it. You weren't afraid of who you were. You knew your dark side and you embraced it. You tried to keep yourself in balance, but when needed you would let the evil take over."

"I am not necessarily proud of that," Regina replied.

"Yes, I know that, but that is what makes you perfect. You are the ultimate paradox. You, yourself, are light and dark. You have been battling yourself since the day your enacted the curse. It took someone else with a skewed view of things for you to see that."

"It did."

"And, once you did, once you realized who you really were, I fell in love with you. You were the mother to our son when I couldn't be. You were the light giving me hope when I thought all was lost. You let your darkness out so that Henry, our light, would shine brighter for us. You've done everything for him for the past eighteen years."

"I have."

"And, I still love you for it."

"I love you, Emma."

"I love you, too, Regina, but promise me one thing," Emma stated, standing them up under the amazingly still warm spray of the shower.

"What's that, Love?"

"That you won't do something that stupid again without telling me first."

"I will do my best, Love."

"Now, come on and let's shower. I don't think that we have that long before the portal jump. I would hate to make Granny late even though we have the entire royal family here."

"I know how she gets when she's late. Your are right about not keeping her waiting. Besides, I can't wait to see what dresses your mother has picked out for you to wear this evening."

"I am not worried about me, Regina. I can't wait to see what she had picked out for you. I am sure that they won't resemble anything that you have hiding in the mausoleum. However, one of those would be fun to see you in, again, your majesty," Emma told her, giving her a mock bow.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Thirty minutes later, they were all outside Granny's Diner. No one seemed to mind that Rhiannon was coming with them. She did look a little odd in pair of David's jeans and Emma's shirt, but they fit her well and it helped her blend in with their motley crew.

Grumpy was the last one to show up. He handed the beans to Charming. He looked around and got ready to throw the bean at the street.

"Remember to think of the Enchanted Forest and that is where you will go. Everyone ready?" he asked but didn't wait for their collective answer before throwing the bean, "Then, let's go home."

They all jumped in. Regina held hands with Emma and Rhiannon. Emma was holding hands with Regina and Henry. They jumped into the green swirling madness and thought about the land that none of them called home.

Seconds later, they hit the forest floor and rolled through the dirt. Rhiannon stood first, a little unsteady, but she made up for it with her composure. She helped Henry to his feet first. Before she got to Emma and Regina, they had helped themselves up.

"I forgot how much traveling by bean could upset one's stomach," Rhiannon stated.

"Don't worry. It'll go away before the 'happiness headache' takes over. Then, you'll understand why I drink so much cider," Regina told her, laughing.

Emma smiled. She knew that it was Snow and her unending happiness that made Regina drink heavily while they were in the Enchanted Forest. She also knew that she would partake of a few too many while she was here. Her own mother was sometimes even a little too chipper for her.

"It'll be okay. Believe me. Regina keeps the place stocked for when we have to come here."

Now it was Regina's turn to laugh. She knew that Emma was joking to a degree, but she was right. Regina did keep a large supply of her hard apple cider hidden in her former castle for her own personal use. She even shared it with Emma a few times when the celebratory wine wasn't working enough for the Savior.

They headed down the road and towards the castle without a care in the world. A few years ago, they would have been fighting flying monkeys or bandits or possibly even Snow herself if things had worked out differently, but today was a quiet day. Snow seemed to be holding back waiting for them at every chance she could. It wasn't bothering Emma, yet, but she could tell that something was up with her mother. It wasn't that she wasn't happy that her mother and her lover had finally come to some sort of arrangement. She was happy about that beyond words. What was bothering her now was her mother's inability to understand that they needed private time.

"Regina?" Snow finally asked when they caught up to the group again.

"Yes, Snow? What can I do for you now? Did I miss something?"

"No, I would like to talk to you in private, if I may."

Emma eyed her mother but didn't say anything. Regina just nodded in response. She looked over at Emma's face and about laughed. Before the other night, Regina would have been making the same face at Snow for wanting to talk to Emma in private. She got closer to Emma and kissed her.

"Look after Rhiannon. I am sure that it is nothing. I'll be right back. She's probably forgotten the code to the cellar again. Don't worry. It nothing, Dear," she told her before walking up to join Snow.

"Yes, Snow, what is it that you need?" Regina asked her.

"I want to talk to you."

"Then talk. You're making Emma nervous. I'm sure that she is having a difficult time understand that we have come to some reconciliation and thinks that we are still plotting to kill each other. We don't exactly have the best record with each other when we are alone."

"That is true. But, still, there are some things that I would like to discuss with you before the ball tomorrow night. They are things that I am not sure Emma would be … responsive about."

"Does it concern Henry?"

"Yes," Snow replied.

"Then, you should talk to the both of us. It isn't fair to hold things back from her just because she doesn't fully understand the ways of the kingdom. She is still his mother."

"I know that, Regina, but you are, too."

"I haven't forgotten that and I never will," Regina replied.

"That is why I want to speak with you, first."

"Snow, I understand your concern, but I assure you that you need to have this conversation with Emma present. I hurt her enough the other night. We both did because we kept the truth from her. How am I supposed to get her to trust me again if I keep this from her?"

"Because it has everything to do with her as much as it does with Henry," Snow told her.

"I guess I don't follow."

"Regina, I gave you my blessing."

"Yes, and I am thankful for that, but I don't know what that has to do with Henry."

"Henry is our heir through Emma."

"You plan on giving him the throne, don't you?" Regina asked her.

"It is the logical choice. It would have naturally fallen to Emma, but seeing how past events will probably keep that from happening, it would go to her heir. Henry is of our blood and he is the son of our daughter. It doesn't matter that you raised him before we all found out his lineage."

"I understand that, Dear, but what does that have to do with Emma?"

"Everything."

"And, me?"

"You are, for lack of better term, her consort," Snow told her.

"Meaning that if Emma were to actually succeed you, I would by default become Queen again."

"Yes, that is true. It would also make you the Queen Mother of Henry. I need to know what your intentions are if something were to happen and Henry was asked to be king."

"I have no desire to be queen unless Emma is by my side. I have no designs on your throne, Snow. The White-Swan throne is safe from me."

"I am not worried about the throne. I need to know that you will help Henry become the king that his people will need. He hasn't been to the Forest enough to understand our ways. He wasn't raised here, Regina. He will be just as reluctant as Emma will be. They will need you to help them find their way in our land…their land."

Regina didn't know what to say. She never expected that Snow would ask her something of this magnitude, but then again, she never planned on letting Snow kill her either. It was definitely another turning point in their strange step-mother/step-daughter, mother/mother-in-law relationship. Regina wasn't sure that she would ever be ready to live in the Enchanted Forest, again. She had gotten used to indoor plumbing and all the trappings of the "modern world."

"I don't know what you want me to tell you," Regina finally answered.

"I have a feeling that after I announce that I have pardoned you and freed you that Emma will ask us if she can marry you. If she does and you agree, that would put you back in line with the throne. It does make me wary because of our past, but then I remember what happened to you with my father…"

"I told you that I didn't want to speak of that."

"I am not trying to hash old memories. I need to know that you will be there for them and the people if they need you. I need to know that you will step up and be the Queen Consort that the people can come to respect and follow without fear. I need to know that you will continue to support this family and its throne, regardless of who is sitting on it."

"You know that I will. My devotion to your precious daughter and our son could only be rivaled by your own. I will not do anything to hurt them or the people of this realm. My only concern is for Emma and Henry's welfare. Is that in line with what you want?"

"Completely," Snow replied.

"Then, my Dear Queen Snow, you have nothing to worry about from me," Regina told her giving her a deep bow.

"There is no need for that," Snow told her.

"But, there is your majesty. I am your subordinate now. I have to pay the proper respect, do I not?"

"You never have before, why start now? Besides, I like your constant questioning of me. It helps me ponder things from every angle. If it wasn't for you and the twenty-eight years in Storybrooke, I don't think I would have ever realized that you were a strict but fair ruler. You did a lot for that town, but I know that it was because you were hunting me down."

"That is true, Dear. I had my eye on you every day. It was easier to reign as Mayor than it was as Queen. I am sure that you have found that to be true, as well."

"I have. But, I have also learned more about you as a person. Emma was right. You aren't the Evil Queen anymore. You are just Regina. I think that is all you ever wanted to be anyway. I understand that. There are times when I feel like it would be so much easier just be Mary Margaret back in Storybrooke with David, then being Queen here. I didn't understand the full burden of ruling. I didn't understand what it would entail for me. I was more worried about finding Charming and being in love than I was worried about the kingdom. I was too busy trying to stop you, than I was actually trying to deal with the day to day realities that life here has. I spent more time in Storybrooke, blissfully unaware of my past and my future. Now, I have to plan for everything. I have to make sure that Eva and Ruth will be provided for, that the kingdom will remain steadfast and strong, that Henry will become a benevolent king like his grandfather. There is so much that I worry about. It is nice to know that you are no longer one of the fears that could end the peaceful existence that we have carved out here."

"You have no fear of me?"

"Well, sometimes, I do," Snow replied with a mocking smile and sarcasm.

"I have a question for you, Snow."

"What?"

"You gave me your blessing, a pardon, and your forgiveness."

"I took your life, in more ways than one. It only seemed fair that I restore it for you. But, I am sure that wasn't your question," Snow stated.

"No, it wasn't."

"Then, what could you possibly ask me that you don't already know the answer to?"

"I am not sure how things stand between Emma and me."

"Oh, come on, Regina, she still loves you. If she didn't, she wouldn't have gotten so mad at you. She wouldn't have tried to figure out why she was so mad with you."

"You could tell?" Regina asked.

"Yes, and I told she was being an idiot."

"You did what?"

"Hey, sometimes, we all need a little push in the right direction. She is so used to everyone that loves leaving her that she figured now that you had your powers back you would, too. When I smacked her with the truth that you weren't leaving, that you were just trying to make amends, I think she finally realized how much she loves you and it scared her. It scared her to the core because she has never loved someone like you, who was willing to stay and to fight for her the way that you do. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know how to respond. She knows that you are her true love, but she didn't understand what that meant for her until she saw you dead on the bed. It shook her, Regina. It will take her some time, but she'll remember why she loves you more than she'll remember why she is mad," Snow told her.

"How do you know that?"

"Because I had to deal with the same thing with Charming on Neverland."

"But, you got him back, like you always do," Regina replied.

"And, you will, too. Give her time, Regina. She loves you. If she didn't, she wouldn't have gone against my wishes for so long when it concerned you. She wouldn't have chosen you over coming back to the Enchanted Forest. Sure there was Henry to worry about, but I think that she decided to stay more for you than she was worried about becoming a real life princess."

"Do you really think that Emma will actually propose to me?" Regina questioned.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

She sat up and stared at the white wall before her. Bridget watched her and waited. Bevin just held her phone, but she said nothing. Bridget watched her as she blanched whiter. She wanted to know what Bevin's grandfather had told her that would affect her that way. Bevin' eyes glossed over for a second and then another convulsion took over her body. Bridget did her best to lay her back down on the couch and keep her from falling off onto the floor and hurting herself.

Bridget was starting to get scared for her. This was the second violent attack that Bevin had where her body shut down and convulsed. She didn't know what to do for her. She couldn't think of anyone that she could take Bevin to see either. They would have to figure it out on their own and hopefully before something had happened to Bevin, too.

"How long was I out this time?" Bevin asked, coming around.

"Less than five," Bridget told her.

"I don't know whether that is good or bad. I just want the headaches to stop. It would make things easier on me if I didn't have to worry about them," Bevin told her.

"Dude, what's up?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Your accent, Irish, it's changing," Bridget stated.

"Bloody Hell, I think that has to do with the headaches too."

"How so?"

"Are you sure that you are ready to hear this?"

"I don't think I really have a choice at the moment, do I? I know too much as it is. You might as well tell me because it might help with my research online," Bridget explained.

"It seems that I am actually around nineteen hundred years old."

"So that affects your accent, how?"

"Well, it seems that I am starting to regain all...and I do mean all, of my memories. I think that is why I am having the black outs. I am slowly remembering things because the spells that the Banshees put on me are wearing off. Once they are completely gone, my transformation will be complete and I will have the memories of every life that I have lived here."

"You okay"

"Uh, no."

"I don't think that I would be either. That is a lot to take in. Did he give you anything useful? You know, besides telling you that you are… a well...an old magical person?"

Bevin laughed. Leave it to Bridget to find something humorous about the situation. She knew that Bridget was trying to help in the only way she knew how, by being a friend.

"Yeah, actually he did. He told me about the tea that my Grandmamma used to make for me. Evidently, it was some potion that they created in order to stop or slow down the changing process."

"So this has happened before?" Bridget asked.

"Not that I can remember," Bevin replied sarcastically.

They both laughed. Bridget made sure that she was righted on the couch before she went into the kitchen. She didn't get her water this time. She got her a Coke, figuring that the sugar couldn't hurt and it would give her some energy.

"What do you want to do now?" Bridget inquired as she handed her the Coke.

"I think we need to find out where we can find some of these ingredients. I know what some of them are because I've heard of them before. Others, I am not sure if it is a folk name or an actual name of the product. I think that we might have to go to different stores to get it all."

"Well, what do we need?"

"Don't laugh."

"I won't. Just tell me what we need so I can make list and check where we can get it. I am assuming that he gave you the recipe for it as well."

"Yeah, he did."

"Alright, let's have the first item on our list," Bridget stated.

"Valerian root," Bevin replied.

"That is a sleep aid. We can get that in a variety of places. Next?"

"Belladonna."

"That's a poison. That might be a little more difficult, but if it's needed, we'll find it. What else?"

"Cactus water."

"Seriously, cactus water. Where are supposed to get that? I mean are we supposed to juice an actual cactus and if so, what kind?" Bridget questioned.

"Yes, we are supposed to juice a cactus. Granddadda only told me that the drier the climate the better the juice was for the tea. I don't know of any dry areas around here to get that. And, I really don't feel like driving to Mexico to get some cactus. But, that isn't the best one, Bridget."

"So...we'll look into that. What else is there? I mean there has to be some crazy stuff, right?"

"Yeah, well, if you can tell me where we can get Dragon's Breath and Dragon's scale we'll be doing good. But, those are the most exotic of the things that we will have to find. I am not sure that we can get the other one though," Bevin stated.

"Why? What is it? Do I want to know?"

"Drops of Poppy."

"Is that like opium?"

"I have no fucking clue. I just got the list. I guess the internet is going to have to be our teacher, but I am not bloody well flying home just for Granddadda to make me some magical tea," Bevin replied a little more forcefully than she wanted.

"Nobody is telling you to fly to Kildaire, Bevin. I just think that we need to think this thing through. Your grandfather just gave you a laundry list of things that we need to find to make this 'herbal' tea for you. I think that we can find them if we look hard enough."

"I am glad that you are enthusiastic, but where do you propose that we find something called Dragon's Scale? And, did I forget to mention that it has to be powered? Where would you even begin to look?"

"Do I look like an expert?"

"No, but you do know how to find things on the internet faster than I have seen anyone else do it."

"That may be true but that doesn't mean that I can find all those ingredients in a timely enough manner to make that tea for you. Isn't there something that we can use that will work faster? Did he give you a quick remedy or something?" Bridget asked her.

"No, all he gave me was that recipe. He did say that I used to drink it once a month or so. Grandmamma sent me here with a premade tin, but it didn't last me that long because I didn't know I was supposed to space it out."

"Well there is that, but then again, I think that she would have sent you more if she hadn't died."

"True, but then Granddadda knew that I would need it. He could have made it or had Shannon make it. They could have mailed me some. They should have known that I would have run out by now."

"I am sure that they weren't thinking about that. You even said that your grandfather didn't think that the legend would come true in his lifetime. He thought they were just stories, too, until he met you. I wonder if he knows what any of the tattoos say. We should have asked him."

"I am not really in the mood to call him back about this," Bevin replied.

"I didn't mean right now. We need to figure out how we are going to get this stuff first. I can work on the translations later. They aren't as important as you are."

"I bet I know what this one says," Bevin stated pointing to one of the ogham tattoos on her right arm.

"Yeah and what's that?"

"Be careful about meeting strange men. It'll change you. Your kingdom awaits," Bevin said sarcastically as she finished off the soda in her hand.

"I am sure that there is a warning label on you somewhere, but I haven't found it."

"Have you figured anything else out?"

"It seems that they thought of your body like a papyrus."

"Meaning?" Bevin asked.

"It pretty much tells your story. It just some basic outlines of your journey. There is a lot there about the River Shannon. I don't know what that has to do with anything besides that it is in the heart of Ireland. It seems to play an important part of your story though."

"Great, more magical waters. Just what I needed. Is there anything else there that could be concrete? Anything that could lead us in the right direction about all of this? Anything useful?" Bevin inquired.

"Besides the one here that tells us that you are 'The Sorcha,' yeah, I think so. There seem to be a few are or they could be spells, but I can't tell. They aren't just in ogham. They are in ancient Gaelic, Irish and Scots. It seems that you would really have to know to understand what they are saying. And, frankly, I don't speak any of those."

"Do you want to call Seamus once you get them all figured out to a degree?"

"Do you think that is wise considering how fast you are gaining all the tattoos and other stuff?" Bridget asked.

"I don't know if it is wise, but he would know what they say. We need translations. We need to get ahead of this somehow."

"Well, let's start with the tea."

"Is there something that you aren't telling me?"

"I just think that if we can slow down your transformation, we can spend more time on trying to dissect the stories and the myths. I can't keep catching you when you pass out from gaining memories. We need to slow this down before something happens to you."

"I understand that. I don't want to get hurt either, but I am worried about something my Granddadda told me, too. He told me to be wary of a woman named Mara."

"Who the Hell is Mara?"

"I have no idea, but whoever she is, she isn't good. He has told me some stories about her, but I don't remember them as well as I think he would like me to. He seemed afraid of her and afraid for me. I don't know where she plays into all of this. I need to know more about this prophecy and legend to figure out what the bloody hell is actually going on. I can't keep walking around blindly about this."

"I know that, Bevin. I am trying to help. You have to believe that," Bridget replied.

"I do. I just wish that none of this was happening. Why couldn't I just have a semi-normal life?"

"What is normal anyway?"

"How the fuck should I know? I am some sort of mythological creature from another realm. I have no idea what normal is, because I am so far from normal that I am fantastic. Nothing that I thought I knew about my life is true and nothing that I know about my real life is making any sense to me, either. I need some sort of order, some sort of goal to look for. I need direction before I go crazy."

"Well, you do know that you met your husband-to-be?"

"Not helping," Bevin stated.

"Well, we know that he was at the horse trials. How hard could it be to narrow it down? We'll just search the other teams for eligible bachelors. I mean how many NCAA equestrian teams could there be? We were in brackets. So, we just need to narrow it down to schools in our bracket for the meet."

"There were four hundred teams there, Bridget. There were fifty teams in our bracket before we got down to the final runs. I doubt that we need to expand it that far. We should narrow it down to the eight teams that actually rode for the championship."

"So, eight teams of roughly ten riders, so that is only about forty different guys it could be, right? How hard would it be to narrow down from there? Anyone strike up your fancy from those teams? Anyone that we need to look into more than anyone else?"


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

Regina sat back on the couch and waited for the seamstresses to come back out with more selections. She wasn't really in the mood to pick anything out. She just wanted to go to her rooms, or more precisely Emma's wing in the castle, and just be with Emma. She knew that she could be as elaborate as she wanted. She wasn't going to be demure either. She looked across the other couch at Emma and smiled.

Emma smiled back at Regina. She wasn't any more in the mood to pick out a dress for the ball than Regina was. She was only there and acting civil with seamstresses because of Snow. She could think of a million other places that she would rather be, then there, but the ball was for Henry. And Henry was her son, so she knew that she would look good for him. She kind of wished that she was with him at the tailor with Charming. She didn't mind dressing up. She just didn't want some big fancy dress.

"Emma, are you even looking at them?" Snow questioned, starting to become impatient with them both.

"Yes, Snow, I am. I just don't think that I would look good in that," she replied pointing to a big poof-y red number. "Can I wear something with pants?"

"I mean you can if you want, but I think it would be courtlier if you didn't," Snow answered.

"I don't live here."

"I know that, Emma, but they are your people, too."

Regina couldn't take it anymore. She knew by the look on Emma's face that she was about to blow. It was the same argument every time they came back. Why couldn't Emma stay? Couldn't she try to see things from their perspective? She was the crown princess and the legal heir to the throne, but technically she was older than her own mother. Emma was never going to plan to the Queen and she wished that her mother would see that. She knew that Snow felt like she had failed Emma as a mother, but it was a little hard for Emma to feel sympathy for her. She couldn't understand Snow's constant pressure on her. Snow had Eva and Ruth to make up with, to be the mother that she so desperately wanted to be for Emma, because Emma has already forgiven her. Regina knew that if she didn't give Emma some relief from her mother that the fight would go to a level that neither of them wanted.

"Snow, dear," Regina stated, as she inserted herself between them.

"Yes, Regina?" she questioned, looking at her step-mother.

"Why don't you help me for a while, Dear? I am sure that Emma just needs a break. I am sure that she will find something in time. Won't you, _Miss Swan_?"

"Yes, yes, I am sure that I will."

"Well, I guess. What did you have in mind? Did you see anything that you like?"

"Well, I did, but I don't think that color will suit me. I am so used to wearing black to gatherings like this, that I have forgotten what would look good on me. And, I know white would, but I'm a little impartial to not wearing white again. I am sure that you can understand why, Dear."

"Yes, yes, I understand. I always loved that pale blue dress that you had. It was magnificent. But, I think now it should be darker. Do you think that you could handle a deeper blue, something more like cobalt?"

"Something more or less like a deep but pretty royal blue, Snow?"

"Yes, something like that would look great," Snow replied.

"I think I could handle that. Do you see anything here in that color? I wonder."

A seamstress came out of the back with a bolt of cloth in the color that she perceived that Snow was talking about. Snow smiled at the color and nodded profusely at the seamstress. Regina liked the color, admitting to herself that she had several jackets that color back in Storybrooke.

"That will do nicely, Dear."

"Where did Rhiannon go? I thought that she was going to pick something out as well. Have you seen her?" Snow asked Regina.

"I am sure that she is checking out the shop. They don't have places like this in her realm. Plus, she maybe a little overwhelmed by all of this. She did come to me for help and in the process…"

"Had to bring you back to life and is now here for your son's birthday," Snow finished for her.

"Exactly. She might just need some time on her own. I am sure that she'll look lovely. She likes balls as much as you do. Besides, she'll just conjure something up if she can't find anything that she likes. But, just to warn you, our dresses are a little ostentatious to what she is used to wearing. She might not be as fancy but trust me when I say that she'll make heads turn."

"I am sure she will. She does have a nice royal bearing. Why didn't I ever meet her before?"

"You can thank my mother for that," Regina replied, softly.

"Do you think that you will have better luck finding something for Emma, than I do?"

Regina turned to Snow. She saw how serious she was about the dress and getting Emma in one. She knew what Snow was planning and she knew that Emma wouldn't be that happy about it. But, she also knew that Emma knew in the back of her mind that Henry was a prince and her heir. She just knew that Emma hadn't thought it much past that and what it meant for Henry.

"I don't know. Well, I might, if you give me leave way to let her wear a dress like tunic with the gown back and trousers, then yes, I can get her into something regal looking. Other than that, I'd have to magically get her into it before the ball and make it stay that way until it was over. And, before you take that suggestion, you know how well that would go over," Regina replied.

"I am not against that. I used to wear gowns like that for everyday court business. If you can get her into one of those, I'll be happy. It just needs to look…"

"Dressy, I know. Now, go on, Dear. I am sure that you have some things to prepare for or get ready for the ball. I'll deal with Emma. And, I'll make sure that Rhiannon has something nice to wear as well. I'll take care of it," Regina replied.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. We still have to get through tomorrow. And, your gift to Henry…you need to talk to Emma about that as well," Regina stated, reminding her.

"I will…tonight, after dinner. Let her know that I will need to speak with her, alone. There are some things that I need to discuss with her. I'll leave you both to it, then," Snow stated.

As usual with her overly chipper self, she hugged Regina for taking care of Emma and their "problem." She knew that she would have to explain it all to Emma later. It was still a little weird for them both that Snow was so nice and friendly towards Regina. To Regina, it reminded her of young Snow. To Emma, she thought her mother had finally lost it.

"So, I guess you get to dress me now?" Emma asked when Regina joined her on her couch.

"I might have suggested that I would."

"No magic?"

"No magic."

"Then, what?"

"Your mother and I used to wear some formal style clothing that wasn't very courtly for our daily business. Don't get me wrong, sometimes I liked that frilly stuff, but for the most part I wanted something functional. I wanted something that looked good, but I could also move around in. I didn't stay Queen for so long because of the dresses, Dear."

"Okay, so then what?"

"Well, it simpler to show you. They are like dresses on top. A tunic style bodice with a gown flair, but instead of a full skirt, it would have a half skirt or panels. This would allow us to wear trousers of the same color and materials underneath. The panels would have cut outs or the entire front of the skirt would be missing. It allowed us to move and for Snow to fight."

"That sounds reasonable," Emma stated.

"I am sure that your mother would love to see you in a full gown with lace and all the trimmings, but I couldn't see you doing that but once and for a very special occasion."

"I am sure that she would, but we both know that I am not one for convention. You should know that better than anyone. Show me something and then, I'll make my decision. Have you honestly picked anything that she has shown either of us?" Emma asked her.

"No, I haven't, but I was humoring her to begin with. She did however find me the perfect color. I think that I can give into her one request and not wear black."

"What color is it?"

"Royal blue," Regina answered with a smirk.

"Really?"

"She picked it out, Dear, not me. I couldn't quite believe it either. It is a very rich and bold color. I have actually always liked blue. I am just surprised that she is actually going to let me wear it to the ball," Regina told her.

"You are still Henry's mother."

"That isn't the point."

"No, it isn't, but she still remembers it. She also knows that you are still technically a princess in your own right. She can't deny your birthright, but she can deny you the throne. She knows that. She also knows that I have chosen you for my consort according to the court. I chose to be with you. She knows that means I want to be with you. I have made you and Henry my family."

"I know that, Miss Swan. And, that very fact has made me very happy for many years. You have given me everything that I never had but always wanted. I thank whoever I can every day for that, Emma. I love you and your mother sees that. I think she finally realizes that I have no design or desire for the throne anymore," Regina explained to her.

"I know. She finally trusts you, again. And, I know why. It is because you have both learned to forgive each other. She remembers the person you were when she was young. That is the only Regina that she every wanted. She thought of you like an older sister more than a step-mother. She missed you, but she was glad that you were there for her after her mother's death. I think that is why she was always so dead set against killing you. She wanted to heal your heart because she blamed herself. She knew that was the only way to save you."

"But that's just it, Emma, she didn't save me. Not completely, you did. If you hadn't come into my life, if Henry hadn't been born, I wouldn't have found a reason to come back from that place of hate. You both gave me a reason to search myself and realize that I had been a pawn for too long and that I needed to find my own way."

"And, you have," Emma replied.

"I did. I have finally found a way to have the family I always wanted. I got my happy ending with a twist of revenge as well," Regina stated with a smirk.

"Because you fell in love with your enemies' daughter?"

"Yes," Regina replied, simply.

"And, now?"

"And now what?"

"How do you feel now?"

"What does that mean?"

"How do you feel about everything now?"

"I am happy that I have you and Henry. I feel blessed to wake up every morning now. I would do anything for you and Henry. You must know that."

"That isn't what I'm asking," Emma replied.

"Then, maybe I don't understand the question."

"What do you want from this relationship from me?"

Regina regarded her. There was something behind Emma's words, but she wasn't sure what it was. She was frightened. Had she been wrong to heal her soul so that she could love Emma completely? Had she pushed too far with Snow killing her that Emma couldn't come back to her? Regina was scared and she didn't know what to do. She swallowed and pushed down the magic she felt brewing inside her. She knew that she couldn't lash out, not now, not ever again.

"Regina?"

"I don't know what you want to hear."

"I want the truth. What do you want from us? What do you want from me?"

"I want us to be a family."

"You want us to be a family?"

"I am happy with our arrangement, if that is what you want to hear," Regina stated.

"And, what exactly is our arrangement, Regina?" Emma asked her, motioning to the seamstresses to leave them alone.

The seamstresses nodded and left them to the dressing room, alone. She waited until they were gone to take Regina's hands and lead her back to the couch. She sat her down, softly, her eyes never leaving Regina's. She noted the lavender build up in Regina's eyes, but just as soon as it came, it vanished back down and her chocolate eyes gazed at Emma in wonder.

"I thought you were happy with me. I guess I was wrong. Don't worry; I am not going to go all crazy and black. I understand the power of restraint. I think I am going to go home. You know where to find me," Regina stated, standing and heading for the door.

She knew that it had only been a matter of time before Emma left her like everyone else. She knew that Emma would break her heart, but she hoped she was wrong. She hoped that because of their shared painful pasts that Emma would be different. She hoped that Emma would be the one that she could build a life with, grow old with and love for a lifetime. She closed her eyes and remembered that she was a villain, she didn't get happy endings.

Emma was off the couch faster than Regina thought possible. She caught Regina by the elbow and spun her around. She pulled her into her body and held her tight.

"Don't go, Darling."

"I'm fine, Emma. You can let me go. You have been a pleasant distraction. I'll go find Rhiannon and we'll leave. I have my powers back now. I'll help her find her daughter. There is no reason for me to stay here if you don't want me. We'll leave after Henry's party tonight."

"Regina, stop."

"No, I understand. It's okay, Miss Swan. I don't want you to feel obligated to me anymore. You have saved me, Savior. You can walk away now with a clean conscience. I'll let you go."

"Regina, would you please just shut your mouth."

Regina looked up into her emerald eyes and tried to find the hatred that she'd never felt from Emma. She couldn't see it. She saw only happiness. She saw only love. She gave Emma a confused look. She didn't know what Emma wanted. She couldn't tell.

"Miss Swan, please just let me go."

"Regina, I swear... Why do you always have to be a stubborn ass? Why do you always think that someone is out to hurt you? Damn it, woman, sit down and calm down."

"Not until you tell me what you want, Emma."

"I'm trying to do that, but please sit down first."

Regina let herself be guided back to the couch. She sat down and gave Emma an expecting look. She wanted to know what Emma wanted. She was watching Emma, trying to find something that she could hold on to, something that she could read in her body language, anything that would let her know what Emma was thinking.

She watched as Emma reached into her jeans pocket. It was a normal pose that she would take when she was talking to Regina. She would hide her hands in her skinny jeans to keep them somewhere. She knew that is was a way to keep her from fidgeting so much.

Emma paced in front of her. She was staring at the floor, noticing the patterns. She didn't know if she could look into Regina's eyes and see pain, knowing that she was the one that put it there. She needed to talk to Regina. This wasn't the ideal place, but they needed to talk. It was the most private place that Emma had found since they got back. She couldn't stop pacing.

"Either say something or I am going to leave," Regina told her bringing her pacing to a halt.

"I don't have elegant words. I never stopped looking for a family until I found you and Henry. If Henry hadn't come to find me, I would have never found my family."

"No, if I hadn't cast the curse…"

"I would have never had Henry. We would still be a war and who knows what we would have become. I don't care about that. If Henry hadn't come for me, I would have never found you. I wouldn't know that my parents are still alive. I wouldn't know what it is like to love and be loved in return. I would never have found the one person that gets me better than anyone else in this world can, Regina. I would have never found you," Emma explained to her.

Regina's head snapped up. She studied Emma. There was something different in her demeanor.

"Regina, I don't know what how else to tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"That I love you."

Regina stared at her. She cocked her head in question. Emma knelt down in front of her, finally pulling her hands out of her pocket. She held out the ring that been there for hours, burning her.

"Regina, I have loved you for years. I realized that I haven't been fair to you these last few years. I just let things go on the way they were because it was convenient for me. It as easy."

"Emma…."

"No, I kept us in a holding pattern. You were the one who felt that something was wrong. You were the one that paid your life for love. What have I done to you? Nothing, but keep you locked up, a prisoner in your own body, being an outcast and I don't even know that I made you happy. I know that you love me, Regina. I can feel it when you touch me. I can see it in your eyes. I can taste it on your skin, but I have never asked you the right questions," Emma stated.

"The right questions? About what, Emma? Why do you have that ring?" Regina asked her.

"I never asked you if you wanted to be with me. We made a family together for Henry's sake. In doing so, we unleashed our hidden passion for each other and declared our love to each other. We have been together but never anything more than what we were in Storybrooke."

"What do you mean?"

"I am the Crown Princess."

"I know that."

"Henry is my son, which makes him a Prince of the Realm."

"I know that as well, Dear."

"I think it would be easier for him…for me, if we did have to come back here, if you were by my side. I don't think that I could rule with you by my side."

"What are you saying, Emma?"

"I don't want you to be my Consort, Regina. I want you to be my Princess. I want you to be my wife in every way possible. I want you to make me the happiest woman at court. I want you to be there as Henry is crowned Prince. I want you to marry me. Will you marry me, Regina?"


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Snow sat in her chambers. She was nervous. She knew that Emma might take the news of making Henry the heir to the throne harder than she would want, but she had to make Emma realize that she was doing it for the continuation of their blood line and for the people. He was Snow's heir, no matter how much Emma didn't want him to be. She had no idea how Emma was going to take the news. She thought about it and maybe she should have prefaced it before they decided on having the ball for his party.

She was patiently waiting. She was trying not to pace. She pulled a book off a shelf and decided to sit down and read until Emma came in to talk with her.

Emma made her way through the castle and stopped outside Snow's chambers. She raised her hand to knock, but hesitated. She wasn't sure what Snow wanted, but she got the memo to come to her chambers so they could talk. She wasn't sure she was ready for anything else that her mother had to say to her about anything. Finally, she knocked on the door and waited. It didn't take long for Snow to answer the door.

"Emma, come in," Snow said, ushering her into the rooms.

She followed Snow over to a couch and sat down. Snow sat on a couch across from her and smiled. She fidgeted with her dress a little and looked over at her daughter.

"I'm glad that you came."

"You made it sound like it is important."

"It is, Emma. I have some important business to discuss with you. I am just going to be blunt about it. I don't know any way else to do this."

"Okay, I guess I can appreciate that," Emma said.

"I know that things between you and Regina are a little strained right now, but this does concern her as well. I've spoken with her a little about it, but she told me that I needed to talk to you about it. I agree with her, now, that I have thought about it."

"Well, thanks, I think," Emma replied.

"It concerns Henry," Snow added.

"What about him?" Emma asked, suddenly very defensive.

"Look, I know that this isn't something that you want to think about, but as Queen I have to. Henry is your son, which makes him my heir. I know that you aren't likely to take the throne should something happen to me. I need to know that I have your blessing in naming him my heir. He would be the next in line after you."

"You want my blessing to name my son your heir?"

"Yes."

"What's wrong with naming Eva or Ruth?"

"They are twins. And, you are the first born. Henry is the legitimate heir to the throne through you. I understand that you don't want to rule. And, hopefully, you won't have to due to the fact that we are around the same age. Henry would be the next logical choice," Snow stated.

"You want me to be okay with this don't you?" Emma questioned.

"I would like for you to be, yes."

"You've already made arrangements for this, haven't you?"

"To a degree, yes, I have."

"So, you're asking for forgiveness rather than permission, then?"

"When you put it like that, yes, I guess I am."

"I don't think that you need to be talking to me about this."

"Why not?" Snow asked her obviously confused by her demeanor.

"I am not the one you are trying to make heir."

"You think that I should talk to Henry, then?"

"I think that you should let him decide. He does like it here, but the only world that he has ever known isn't here. He didn't grow up here. He doesn't live here. He visits and that doesn't mean he won't want the position, but I think that you need to take that into consideration. He did choose to go to college and not come here. We've offered to let him live her, to learn here, to become a knight if he wants, but at every turn he has chosen to stay with us in Storybrooke."

"Do you think that he would reject the idea?"

"I don't know. If it as me, yes, I would. But, he is his own person and in our world of age to make his own decisions. I am his mother but it would be his choice. But, I will tell you this much: I am not going to push towards accepting."

"I understand that," Snow replied.

"What did Regina say about it?"

Snow looked at her. She realized that Regina had kept her word and not said anything about her opinion on the matter to Emma. She sighed.

"She agrees with you, I'm afraid. I know that he would be a fine, kind, and just ruler. I am just worried about the girls. I don't want them to fight over the crown."

"What if I had another child?" Emma asked.

"You want another child?"

"I am not against the idea."

"With who?"

"Regina of course, who else would you think?"

"But, you can't," Snow stated.

"Why not?"

"Well, you know…it isn't…you can't…she can't…it isn't possible," Snow stated.

"Not in the physical sense no, it isn't. We could adopt a child. I know what it is like to want someone to love you, anyone. I know what it is like in the system."

"Oh, but…I wouldn't be able to name them my heir."

"Why not?"

"Because they wouldn't be of our blood," Snow told her.

"So, now, blood is the only thing that makes you family. That is a little farfetched even for you. Family is what we make of it. I know that first hand and I am not going to let someone else suffer if I can help them. If they wanted to take the Swan name or the Mills name for that matter, I would let them and be happy about it."

"I am not saying that I wouldn't love the child, Emma. I am saying that the people wouldn't take to the child being their prince or princess. It is just the way of things."

"What if it was an orphan from here?" Emma asked very seriously.

"Why do you ask?"

"Would they accept it if it was from here?"

"I don't know. I don't think that it has ever been done. I would hope that they would treat the child with the respect bestowed upon it by its parents' station, but I cannot speak for the will of the people. I believe that they would accept the child as their own, but I don't know if they would let it go so far as to rule. Henry would be pursued first. He is the first born of the first born and male."

"You aren't male."

"And, Charming is still a prince," Snow stated.

"But, you are the first born. David was a shepherd. Hell, even Cora was a miller's daughter. Why couldn't an adopted child become heir to the throne?"

"I don't know. I guess I never thought about it. I'll look into it if you want. I'll see what I can find out. I see that it is important to you."

"I think you should talk to Henry. It is his life. Is that all you wanted to talk about?"

"No, not really," Snow stated.

"What else?"

"Did you find a dress?" Snow asked trying to change the subject.

"I did."

"What color is it?"

"It is a mixture of blue and white. Regina said that it should remind you of something you both used to wear to court function. I have to admit that I am happy that it doesn't have a full skirt, but the train on it is slightly obnoxious."

"It's long isn't it?"

"Regina wouldn't have it any other way. She kept saying that the longer train was needed because it was for the ball. I don't know. It just seems like a waste of cloth to me."

"I am sure that you will enjoy it."

"I don't see why I couldn't wear a knight tunic."

"Because you are the Princess of the Realm, it wouldn't look right for you to be parading around in a knight's tunic to the ball."

"I could have fabricated some sort of dress uniform."

"We don't have one," Snow said, obviously pondering the idea.

"How does the military not have formal attire?"

"Well, they do after a fashion, but they wouldn't be invited to the ball except as security."

"Well, that's a bummer."

"Emma, I know that our ways don't exactly mesh with yours, but thank you for trying."

"I know that I was born here. I didn't stay here long, but this is technically my home. I can't spur my heritage just because I didn't grow up learning about it. Henry however likes to teach me things about it on a regular basis. He has taken to studying History and Literature. He thinks that there is some way he can break a code to make our worlds mesh again."

"But, we are nothing but stories to you," Snow stated.

"Stories have to come from somewhere. There is generally some historical reference or reasoning behind them. Legends are made to become belief. Belief becomes knowledge and knowledge becomes power. Those who know the stories know the power of them. That is why those that can't learn from the past are doomed to repeat. Stories help us learn," Emma replied.

"I know that. It is one of the reasons that I want to name an heir. I don't someone thinking that they can come in and usurp the throne if something happens to us."

"They won't. I won't allow it. You are still my parents. I would still avenge you."

"I don't want vengeance. I want diligence. Vengeance is why you didn't grow up here."

"I thought that we were passed that," Emma said.

"We are. But, we also learn from the past. I don't want Henry or the girls to have to deal with a situation like that," Snow told her.

"I am sure that they won't."

"We don't know that."

"I have to believe it. We stopped Regina. We killed Pan. We dealt with Zelena. I doubt that there isn't anything that this family can't face. They'll be fine," Emma told her.

"This family?" Snow questioned, getting a little gitty.

"Yes, this family. It is extensive and misguided at times, but we are a family. Our lives may not intertwine the way we want them to, but at the end of the day, you are still my mother. David is still my father. Eva and Ruth are my little sisters. Henry is my son. Regina is his mother, too."

"But, she is also your partner."

"She is."

"Have you two reconciled?" Snow asked.

"We have, in our own way, yes."

"That's good. You two are good together. You balance each other well. And, you both love Henry. He is lucky to have two moms that love him," Snow stated.

"He is."

"What is it?"

"What is what?"

"What aren't you tell me?" Snow inquired.

"I thought about what you said."

"Meaning?"

"This morning before we left. You told me that my anger would destroy my family. I needed to grow up and think about it from her perspective. I think I finally understood. We talked…more or less. I told her that she planned things out too well but not well enough."

"I know how that is," Snow said with a smirk.

"I know that you allow her to be my Consort."

"Yes, it is a fitting title for your situation."

"What if the situation changed?"

"What do you mean?"

"She is a princess in her own right, you know?"

"I do."

"So why can't she be Princess Regina here?" Emma asked.

"She never asked for the title. And, technically, she isn't a princess of this realm. The only way that she would get the title here would be to marry. She could use her title if she wanted, but I think she tried to distance herself from being the queen and the title would be too much."

"But, she is Regina, Princess of the Winterlands, daughter of Prince Felix."

"That is all true, Emma, but what of it? Has she said that she wants to be introduced as such at the ball? I can have it changed if she wishes."

"No, she hasn't."

"Then, why do you ask about it?"

"Because I asked her to be my princess."

"Your princess?"

"I asked her to marry me."

"Marry you?"

"Yes, I asked her to my wife. It would be legal in Maine. I need to know that her title would be true here. She would be my wife and would be able to use the title of princess without any ridicule from the nobility," Emma stated.

Snow started to laugh. Emma just stared at her mother not understanding her amusement. She was actually starting to get mad with Snow, when she finally stopped laughing.

"I was wondering how long it was going to take you to ask her," Snow said, taking a breath.

"You knew?"

"I had an idea, Emma. You are my daughter. You have your father's charming qualities and my stubbornness. I am actually surprised that it has taken this long for you to ask her."

"You could have said something," Emma stated.

"No, love is something that you have to figure out on your own."

"You don't care?"

"Are you happy?"

"Yes."

"Does she love you back?"

"Yes," Emma replied.

"Does she make you ridiculously happy?"

"All the time."

"Did she say yes?" Snow asked.

"Yes, she did, why?"

"Then, who am I of all people to stand between you and your true love."


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

"There were only two guys that I really had any run in with at the tournament," Bevin stated.

"That kid from BC and who?"

"The horse whisperer for Virginia."

"What could y'all have talked about?"

"You'd be surprised what horse people talk about."

"Want to enlighten me?"

"We talked different tack techniques and horse stuff. He admired the kid from BC too. Told me that he hadn't seen a natural like that in years. He wasn't really in my age range, so I doubt it was him. He was a good guy though," Bevin added.

"So what do you think about the kid from BC?" Bridget asked her.

"He is a good rider, passed that nothing really."

"Didn't strike your fancy, huh?"

"He was cute, but I don't think he even noticed that I was there. We talked after our rides while we were putting our horses up. It wasn't like there was spark or anything," Bevin told her."

"But?"

"I think that you are hoping for too much."

"Look at it from my perspective. We got to the tournament. You meet someone or came into contact with your prophesized future husband. Your body begins to change due to the fact that you came into the contact with this new Pendragon-to-be. The spells won't hold your true identity at bay anymore. Things that you thought were stories are now truth and that scares the hell out of you. The more that we dig and look into things that might help you with this 'legend,' the more we realize that we are really in over our heads," Bridget told her.

"I know that."

"So what do you want to do?"

"I want to figure out if this tea will actually help me or not."

"We don't what half this shit is. How are we going to find it all? I mean do you even know where to go look for Dragon's scale?"

"Nope, but that is what the internet is for," Bevin told her.

"I tried that. I couldn't find anything that matched that as a name of anything except some experimental military personnel armor. I think that we can find the rest pretty easily, but the stuff like drops of poppy might be a little harder."

"I doubt that it means opium," Bevin replied.

"Regardless, we still have to figure out where to find it all."

"Isn't there a witch shop near here?"

"Witch shop?"

"Yeah, you know Wiccan?"

"I guess. I'll have to look it up. Do you think that they would know what we are looking for? I mean, do you think that they'll actually have this stuff? How are we going to know if it is real?"

"We won't."

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"No more than what's going on with me right now."

"Umm…I think a few new tattoos are immensely safer than ingesting something that isn't exactly good for you."

"I understand that, but my grandparents had to be getting it from somewhere. It has to be a real substance. And, who better to know than some neo-witches?"

"I doubt that they would appreciate your logic."

"I am sure that they wouldn't, but I can't exactly just conjure what I need."

"Why not?"

"I am not that good. Besides we don't know that I have magic anyway. I need to do something. If Granddadda was right about this Mara person, then I need to take every precaution that I can."

"I am not saying that you shouldn't. I am just saying that this isn't exactly the best idea. I am just voicing my opinion. That's all."

"Duly noted. I don't have time to wait, though. We need to get ahead of this. I think that we should be able to brew this tea. That will give me some time to figure out what our next move is going to be. I can't just keep walking around with my hair changing colors whenever it wants."

"Come on, now. That is freaking cool and you know it. Who wouldn't want that?"

"I don't," Bevin replied, matter-of-factly.

"Okay, so, I think I found a place we could go look. It isn't that far to drive. You wanna go?"

"Yes," Bevin stated, getting a little annoyed.

She made a move to sit up from the couch. She was ready to do anything to get her life back, no matter that her life it seems was never really her own to begin with. She stared at Bridget as memories of past eras and lives flooded her brain. She kept herself upright. She didn't want to worry Bridget any more than she already was. She was glad for Bridget's help and dedication to keep her safe and protected, but she wondered what Bridget would do when things got worse.

"Bridget, you know that you don't have to help me," Bevin told her.

"Yes, I do."

"No, you don't."

"You don't understand it. I can't not help you. I feel compelled to do it. You are my roommate. I can't let you face this alone. I can't let something happen to you. Call it whatever you'd like, but I am not leaving you. It might be my personality. It might be some sort of crazy, but you're stuck with me for now. I think that you need me, anyway. Who else is going to drive your ass around and search the internet for shit we don't know about?" Bridget asked her.

"You're right. And, when you're right, you're right. And, you are right."

"Okay…so let's go to this magic shop and see what we can find. I am sure that they will be able to help us more than the internet at the moment. Besides, maybe they could tell us something that we don't know. Maybe they could read some of the tattoos," Bridget offered.

"I don't want them reading my tattoos."

"Okay, but do you want to know what this one says?"

"Sure," Bevin said flatly.

"It says that the house of the Raven will bond with the houses of Wolf and White Bird."

"White Bird?"

"That is what it says. I am sure that something is lost in translation, but I don't know what. I haven't found anything about a 'white bird' clan. Could it be a misreading?"

"What does the line actually say? Is it in Irish or Gaelic? Which one is it?" Bevin asked searching her body.

"This one here," Bridget said, grabbing her arm and showing her the reddened runes.

"It's runes."

"Yeah, it is in runes."

"But, yeah you translated it."

"Well, runes and ogham were used interchangeably in some areas. Plus, how many people still use either alphabet now? Not many and mostly scholars, now a days, which means that whoever and whenever these were tattooed it was either common practice or it was to hide the message from prying eyes. You needed to know the language in order to read it."

"Druids used Ogham and they were mostly the only ones who wrote. They were story tellers. If they are that old, no one but other druids would be able to read me."

"So, it was for coding. That makes some sense. They were trying to hide your true identity, what better way that to put it in plain sight for no one to be able to read. They would have seen them as spells or protections given to you by the druids. No one in the early eras would have questioned their meaning or what they said. And, by the time that someone would have, the languages were forgotten and mostly dead," Bridget stated.

"Exactly, perfectly camouflaged, but you still haven't answered my question."

"Which was?"

"You translated it?"

"Well into Irish, I think," Bridget replied.

"Tell me what you think that it says in Irish," Bevin commanded her.

"Beidh an geal Ceann de an teach ar a fiach dubh a pósadh an Chroí Mór an tí de Mac Tíre agus an Eala. I think that it means: The Bright One of the house of the Raven will bond or join with the Big Heart of the House of Wolf and White Bird. Is that a close enough translation?"

"Somewhat, yes," Bevin replied.

"Then, what does it say?"

"The head of brightness of the house of the raven will marry the great hearted one of the joined house of the wolf and swan."

"So, I was close," Bridget added.

"Yes, you were. Amazingly close considering that you've never spoken Irish. You're very adept at languages though, I know," Bevin replied.

"Thanks, I think. Does that mean anything to you? I mean from your memories?"

"Not really, no."

"Any thoughts?"

"Well, if we believe that I am the 'Bright One' or the Sorcha, which would make me the 'Head of Brightness' than I belong to the ancient clan of the Raven. It would seem to propose that I will marry someone with a large heart that comes from the joined house of the Wolf and the Swan. The only problem with that is that Swans weren't sacred. They weren't even revered. They were eaten. I wonder what that could mean."

"Could it be some sort of symbolism?"

"I am sure that it is."

"I mean we think that wolves are usually dark, right?"

"Yeah," Bevin answered.

"So, maybe it is like the light and dark dynamic."

"Okay, explain that," Bevin stated.

"I think that the guy you are supposed to marry is from a joined house where the colors are white and black."

"That seems a little more than literal. Most of the crap that my Granddadda fed me was straight and to the point. I don't understand why they would hide it. What's the point?"

"They were hiding you," Bridget stated.

"True."

"So, why not hide the identity of the new Pendragon that you are to marry?"

"He would become a target, too."

"Exactly."

"We need to get to the magic store."

"Come on then."

They came back into their apartment about an hour later. Bridget sat their loot down on their table. She watched Bevin walk into the kitchen and get out the small sauce pan. She watched as she filled it with water and set it to boil. She sat down at the table as Bevin found a small mixing bowl. She didn't say anything as Bevin joined her at the table with the bowl and a spoon.

"Alright, let's do this."

"What do we need to do first?"

"First we need to mix the ingredients. Some of the stuff I'm going to have mash up or break down. Then, I'll add the boiled water and cactus water. Next, I drink it and we see what happens. I guess you should get your phone ready, in case."

"Okay, but answer me this."

"What?" Bevin asked as she started to spoon out some of the dry herbs.

"What the hell is the real name of all that stuff?"

Bevin laughed. She shook her head, but didn't answer. She picked up the valerian root tablet and crushed it with the spoon in the bowl. She grabbed a dark sticky herb and did the same. She dropped some poppy seeds into the bowl and crushed them with the spoon.

When she grabbed the baggy labeled "Dragon's breath," she looked at Bridget and said, "This is also known as magnesium."

"You're joking," Bridget replied.

"Nope, I told you: the witches would know."

"That they did. That lady didn't even bat an eye when you gave her your list. I was amaze that she knew that 'drops of poppy' meant that you were supposed to drop some poppy seeds into it. I wouldn't have ever thought of that. It was just too literal, you know?"

Bridget and Bevin laughed. Bridget took the bowl from her as Bevin got up to check the water. She continued to use the bowl of the spoon to crush the stuff in the mixing bowl. Bevin poured herself a small mug of the boiled water. She came back to the table. Bridget pushed the bowl across the table at her. Bevin took a deep breath and sprinkled a heaping spoonful of the mixture into the boiled water. She stirred it and waited for it to dissolve. She stared of the steaming mug at Bridget and took another deep breath.

"Go ahead," Bridget urged.

"I suddenly don't want to do this," Bevin told her.

"Bevin, this is the recipe that your grandfather gave you. I doubt that he would want to hurt you. He said this would help you combat the changes. It would help you hide until we can figure out what we can do. Come on, bottoms up," she encouraged Bevin.

Bevin held the mug and sniffed the concoction. Her mind suddenly flooded with memories of the tea and drinking it back in Kildaire. She could remember drinking it every now and again with her Grandmamma. She knew that the smell alone should curb her fears, but it didn't. Finally, she knew that she had to drink it. She took a deep breath, let it out and took a sip.

"Is it bitter?"

"No, it is actually as I remember."

"Good?"

"It isn't bad, but it isn't a hot tea that I would like to drink on the regular."

"I understand that."

"Is it working?" Bevin asked.

"I don't know. Do you feel different? Are the memories still coming?"

"Yeah that are, but I still feel the same."

It was then that Bridget gasped. Bevin gave her a questioning look, but she didn't say anything. She decided that she would have to drink the entire cup before she would feel or see anything. She finished the mug and still watched Bridget, who by this time was staring, wide eyed.

"What?"

"Look at your arms," Bridget told her.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

Emma was lying across a chaise when Regina came back to their rooms. She admired the blonde's physique as she came back in. Emma must have heard her, because she turned her head around and smiled and smiled at Regina. Regina smiled back at her and made her way across the room to her.

"So, how'd it go?"

"You could have warned me," Emma told her.

"About?"

"That my mother wants to name Henry her heir."

"Sorry. I didn't realize that she had a time table set to do it. I did tell her that she should speak to you about it. By right, it should be you," Regina told her.

"She did mention that," Emma replied.

"Mentioned what?"

"That you talked about it. She was afraid to talk to me alone about it. She wanted to know what you thought about it. That doesn't strike you as odd?"

"No, why would it?"

"She is Snow?"

"I know that our new friendship is weird for you, Dear, but that had nothing to do with our discussion."

"Then what did?" Emma asked.

"She was asking me as one queen to another. She wasn't worried about what I would think. She was thinking logically. She wanted to know what I would think about her decision as Henry's mother. I understand her reasoning and it makes sense to me."

"You want Henry to be her heir?"

"I didn't say that, Dear. I told her that it was your decision for the most part. I have always thought of Henry as my 'little Prince.' How was I was to know when I gave him the nickname that it was the truth? I didn't know what was going to happen. I didn't know that your mother had been thinking about it. I knew that she had Ava and Ruth."

"I know. And, to be honest, I never thought about it either. I know that I am the Crown Princess, which makes me next in line, but I am older than my own mother. How weird would that be? She couldn't name me. Plus, she knew that I wouldn't do it. I don't want to live here."

"She told me as much as part of her reasoning for Henry."

"But, then she is going to stiff my younger sisters for my son…"

"He is the next in line," Regina stated.

"Because they are twins that was her reasoning. They are twins. They would fight over the throne. She's kept the kingdoms united. She didn't want to split it back up so they could co-rule," Emma told her.

"That makes sense from a monarchs' point-of-view."

"I mean, do we even know if Henry wants to live here? He did choose to stay with us. He loves to visit, but is he really king material? I don't mean that in a bad way. He is a good boy, but I don't know. Do we know what he thinks about this? Have you talked to him?"

"No."

"No?"

"No, I haven't talked to him about it."

"She wants to announce it tomorrow at his birthday ball," Emma added.

"And, what did you say?"

"I didn't really say anything. I reminded that she needed to talk to him. She's already made arrangements to name him heir to throne. She just wanted to know that we were going to back her play when she made it. As it stands right now, I am still heir."

"So, should we talk to Henry?"

"I believe that we should. He needs to know. He also needs to know that we are finally going to get married. It will make him happy."

"I know. Did you talk to you mother about that as well? How did she take it?" Regina asked.

"She asked me what took so long, actually."

Regina laughed. She wasn't really worried about how the Court would take their marriage. She was worried about Snow, because she was the only person that could stop it, well in the Enchanted Forest anyway. It would have hurt Emma, Regina knew that, but she knew that Emma wouldn't care either way.

"So, what else did you talk about? You were gone for a long time. I was about to come find you," Regina told her.

"As soon as you finished the book," Emma retorted.

"It is a good book," Regina countered.

"I am sure that it is."

"So, what else did you talk about?"

"She asked about the dress. I don't think that she appreciated the fact that I wanted to wear a military uniform. I thought it would be more fitting for me. I mean, I am the Sherriff and a knight. Wouldn't that make more sense to you? Why is it always a dress?"

"Because you are a princess, dear and princesses wear dresses."

"Speaking of princesses," Emma started.

"Yes?" Regina drew out as she asked.

"Well, Snow was really happy that I asked you to marry me. But, I thought it would cause some issues with your title and such. I mean, I know that you are happy being my Consort, but I am not. I don't like the fact that you aren't considered as important because you are a woman."

"I don't think that is the reason, Dear, but please continue."

"I asked her if you could be my Princess."

"What?!"

"I know that your father was Prince Henry, the fifth son of King Felix. You are a princess, Regina. You always have been. If you marry me, nothing would change but the titles after your name. You have always been Princess Regina of the Winterlands."

"I was Queen, Dear."

"Yes, when you married my grandfather, don't remind me. That still makes my head hurt thinking about the fact that you are my step-grandmother. But, when you gave Snow the kingdom back, she took the Winterlands as part of the kingdom."

"So?"

"It means that Henry would not only be the Prince of the Summerlands, but also the Winterlands. None of your cousins survived the curse or your mother. You are the heir to the throne, but you gave it to Snow to stay with me. That means that I inherited your throne by default and not marriage, meaning that Henry does as well," Emma told her.

"Interesting," Regina answered.

"So, Henry is both of our heirs."

"I see. And, I am sure that your mother pointed this out. But, what does that have to do with our marriage, Dear? I fail to see the connection," Regina told her.

"It means that I told Mom that I would get married here unless you were allowed to use your title."

"So, I am to be Queen?"

"Not unless you want to me to be," Emma stated.

"She will allow me to Princess Regina?"

"Yes," Emma replied.

"Why?"

"Because I asked her."

"Why?"

"Because she brought up the heir thing about Henry and you said yes to my proposal. I needed to know where she stood concerning it. I needed to know that you would be allowed to be by my side and will be treated as my equal. I am tired of everyone using your past to punish you. I don't know who that Regina was and I hope that I never do. I have only known you as my Regina and I want them to know you as that as well."

"Emma, some people can't forget. I was a horrible person. I did horrible things."

"Then, what better way to show them that you have changed?"

"What did your mother say?"

"She said that it was your decision. She couldn't fault you if you wanted it because it was your birth right. She couldn't stop me from letting you because of my birth right. Besides, I am sure that Henry would ask her to let you become a princess once we were married," she told her.

Regina looked at her. She wasn't sure what to say. She saw that Emma was pacing, like she didn't know what Regina's reaction would be. She didn't know what she should be feeling. She didn't know whether she should be happy or upset about Snow's decision. She didn't know what she wanted except for Henry and Emma.

"Would you say something?" Emma asked.

"I don't know what to say, Emma. I haven't really thought about using my titles again. I am happy in Storybrooke. I thought you were, too," Regina replied.

"I am. I don't want the throne. I don't want to rule. I am happy in Storybrooke, but that doesn't mean that I want you slighted when we are here. You are a princess to me, Regina and you should be one. Hell, you were their Queen and now, you are just my Consort. It isn't fair."

"I was not fair to them, why should be they be fair with me?"

"Because I am the Savior," Emma stated.

"Frankly, my Dear, that is a poor excuse. I wouldn't accept that. I don't expect that they should. You are Snow's daughter and I do believe that has earned your some if not a lot of leeway, with the people of this realm. They love your mother and by default, they love you. They have no love for me, Love, and once, I had no love for any of them."

"But, I've never met that person."

"I understand that, but that doesn't mean that they can forgive me as quickly as your family has. I don't know that I can ever do enough to make them see me as you do. There isn't a way to make them forget that will not take magic. I am not willing to do that just so they will like me. I tried to make them like me before and we see where that got me."

"Yeah, to Storybrooke and to me," Emma added, taking her into her arms.

"Emma, darling, there is something else that you aren't telling me, isn't there?"

"Maybe?"

"It has something to do with your discussion with your mother, doesn't it?"

"Maybe," Emma replied.

"Tell me."

Emma was about to say something when Henry came barreling into the room. He looked dashing in a tunic bearing the coat of arms of David. He was taking to the palace like he always did. He was a kid living out a great fantasy. He didn't care that it was real life, too.

"Hey, Mom, Ma, what's going on?"

"What are you wearing?" Regina asked him.

"Gramps found me a tunic. It's great, isn't it? I think it looks great. I think it makes me look more knightly, don't you? I mean I can't wear this back at school except for Halloween and no one would ever believe that I was a real prince. Does your dress have the flowers from the crest on it, Ma?" Henry asked.

"No."

"Women don't usually wear the coat-of-arms, dear," Regina told him.

"Oh, that's too bad. Gramps found you some tunics, too. He said that if you didn't tell Grams, he'd let you wear them tomorrow."

"Umm…"

"She'll be fine, Henry. I took care of it. She won't have to wear something frilly that Snow picked out. Trust me. She'll look good and make all of Court stare," Regina told him.

"Yeah, you did," Emma replied.

"So, do you know what they got me?" Henry asked.

"I wouldn't tell you if I did, Henry. It's your birthday. They are gifts and surprises. There is one thing that we need to talk to you about…together," Emma told him.

"Uh oh, this doesn't sound good. What happened? What's wrong? Does it have to do with Rhiannon and looking for her daughter?" Henry asked.

"No, it doesn't. She is fine. She is the libraries with Belle searching for clues and answers. It actually has to do with you," Emma told him.

"We, my little prince, would like to discuss your birth right," Regina stated.

"What does that mean?"

"Come here and sit," Regina commanded him.

He came to the couches that graced their room. He noticed that Regina had been reading before he came in, or so he thought. He watched as Emma sat down on the chaise behind her. He watched as they melded together and he smiled. He was happy that his mothers were happy together. He couldn't help what they were up to now as he sat on a high backed couch across from them and waited for them to continue.

"Well, being my child puts you into the line for the throne," Emma told him.

"Yeah, so?"

"That means that you are my heir to throne."

"I already knew that."

"Henry that means that you are the only living Crown Prince to the throne," Regina added.

"Meaning?" he inquired.

"It means that Snow wants to name you as the sole heir to her throne."

"What about Ruth and Ava?"

"They are your aunts, but they would only gain the throne if something happened to you."

"So, I am like the Prince of Wales?" he asked.

"In a manner of speaking, yes, you would be," Regina replied.

"Does that mean that I would have to move here?" Henry questioned.

"Not unless you want to, Henry. Snow just wants to name you her heir. She wants to knight you as the Crown Prince. You wouldn't have to move here until something happens to her. It would make you officially next in line for her throne," Emma told him.

"Wait…she would make me next in line. What about you, Ma? You are her daughter."

"I am, but I am physically older than my own mother. It doesn't make sense for her to name me as her heir. I will always be the Crown Princess. Unless something happens to her in the next few years, you would be the natural choice to be her successor," Emma answered

"But…Ava and Ruth…you…really?"

"Yeah, Kid, you," Emma replied.

"I…but what about school? What about Storybrooke? I don't…who…really?"

"Yes, my little Prince, you are a real prince. I agree that this seems like a lot for you to take in, but you were born for it. You are the son of the princess. Had things happened differently, you would have grown up here. As they are the choice of where you live is still up to you. I think that both your mother and I have talked with your Grandmother Snow. We told her that she should talk to you about this. It is a big responsibility. It is one that I hope that you will consider with great thought and reflection. We are not pressuring you to accept. We are merely trying to tell you what your Grandmother is going to propose to you, probably in the morning," Regina said as she watched him lean back on the couch in defeat.

"She knows that I can't tell her 'no'."

"If you don't want to take it, you don't have to, Henry. This is your decision. Don't let anyone pressure you into it. This decision will affect more than just yourself," Regina told him.

"I understand that," Henry stated.

"That isn't all that we have to tell you," Emma added.

"What? What else? Is it as epic as me being a prince?"

"It might be. I think that it is pretty wicked. I hope that you do, too," Emma stated.

"Should I be worried?" Henry asked.

"No, Henry, you shouldn't. What your mother is failing in telling you is that we are going to make our relationship more official. I would think that should make you happy," Regina said.

"Huh?"

"We're getting married!" Emma exclaimed.

"It's about freaking time."

"Henry, language," Regina scolded.

"It wasn't a curse word. But, seriously, that's great. Wait, what did Grams say?"

"She said the same thing."

"I hardly think that your mother used the same language, Dear," Regina replied.

"Well, maybe not the same phrase, but she did say that it was about time. How does that make you feel, Henry? Are you happy?"

"Hell, yeah! Sorry, Mom. But, this means that you will really be my Moms for real. It's awesome. This is so wicked! I can't wait to tell…everyone!"

"Does he have to use that word, Dear?" Regina asked her.

"It doesn't mean the same that it did for Zelena. It is slang in Boston for great, awesome, and the like. He doesn't mean anything by it. He is ecstatic, by the way," Emma told her.

"Hey, Mom, Ma!"

"Yeah?"

"Yes, my little prince?"

"So, when is the wedding?" he asked, all smiles.


End file.
